Kingdom Hearts III: Manifest Destiny
by rokusasu74
Summary: Sora has just returned from what he thought was his last journey...until a letter changes everything. What will this journey hold for the Keyblade Master? And when an ancient prophecy beckons, will he prevail once more, or will fate turn on him? Find out!
1. Chapter 1: The Letter

Kingdom Hearts III: Manifest Destiny

Rated T for some violence/language

By rokusasu74

* * *

Sora closed his eyes and tightly gripped the Keyblade. "I can't do this. You and I both know that I can't do this."

The other boy looked down at the ground slowly. "You know you have to--to follow their legacy. This is…how it must be."

"There has to be another way."

The boy blinked back tears and shook his head hesitantly. "There isn't. I have to go."

* * *

The sun rose slowly over the horizon, the early morning rays glittering across the sapphire ocean. A few seagulls cawed to greet the dawn, creating an early morning chorus typical for an island setting.

The boy with spiky brown hair stretched out on the sand and yawned. The palm tree above him created a shady area right near the water's edge, but even now the sun was sneaking through the leaves and shining on his face. Blinking his radiant blue eyes, he sat up wearily and stared out to sea.

"Another morning." he whispered happily, smiling. The waves lapped soothingly up against the shore, soaking the boy's shoes. He stood up and turned around, hoisting himself up onto the tree. He sat on the horizontal trunk and sighed, watching the beautiful, tranquil sunrise with quiet joy.

"Sora!" a shout broke the morning silence. He turned around towards the pier to see a girl in a pink dress running towards him, her auburn hair swaying gently in the breeze. Sora grinned and waved.

Kairi.

"Did you sleep out here again? When's the last time you went home, like a normal person?" Kairi asked, giggling. Sora shrugged.

"It's something about here. I like it."

Kairi gazed at the boy and shook her head good-naturedly. He sat there, content, but she knew that he was here for a reason. He'd been away from home so long, and all his memories were on this island. Right now, all he wanted was to sit and remember.

Sora noticed her standing there quietly and scooted over. "Here, sit." Kairi nodded her thanks and sat alongside him, watching the sun as it rose the rest of the way into the vivid blue sky.

"So, Sora." she said, turning away from the horizon and looking at him. "If we went and rebuilt that raft, right now, would you come with me if I left?"

He stared at her, confused, and thought about it. "Maybe, but…I don't know if I want to leave. Now that I know what's out there, I can stay here and not worry about it."

"But even if I left, you wouldn't come?" Kairi asked. She held back laughter when Sora's face turned bright red and he began to shake his head insistently.

"No, no, I'd come with you, it's just…"

The laughter broke free, and Kairi rocked back and forth, amused. "It's okay, silly! I was only kidding. I'm not going anywhere."

Sora grinned faintly. "You promise?"

There was a moment of deep silence while the two sat, motionless, recalling their promise of long ago.

Kairi nodded and glanced back at him with sparkling blue eyes that matched the hue of the ocean before them. "I promise." Sora began to blush again, sending Kairi into another fit of spirited laughter. He joined in, whacking her on the shoulder jokingly.

"You better not go anywhere, though." he said with mock importance. "After all that I did to get back, if you ran off…"

"You'd die of a broken heart. We know." a voice from behind them said sardonically. The two turned around to see who it was and instantly began laughing again.

"Riku!" Kairi shrieked, jumping off the tree. "You're so mean!"

Riku only smiled, his bluish-white hair hanging in his face, turquoise eyes almost hidden by his bangs. "But you know it's true. Right, Sora?" Sora was still lost in the hilarity of the moment, but his face had once more turned red. "If you keep looking at me like that, your face is gonna freeze that way. Wouldn't that be funny, you'd be blushing everywhere you went…"

"Aw, be quiet, Riku." he said, choking on the irrepressible laughter. "We all know you would too."

Riku stared back at him, almost looking appalled. "That was a pretty bad comeback. Thanks for playing, sport." Abruptly, he turned around and started walking back across the pier. Intuitively, Sora leapt up and followed, Kairi behind him.

"Riku!" he called, trotting to catch up. "Where are ya going?"

The older boy shrugged apathetically. "Dunno. Just to go sit and think somewhere. Or something."

"Think?" Kairi questioned. "Think about what?"

Riku stopped unexpectedly and whirled around gradually. "You two should know. You were there."

Sora blinked in astonishment. "Not the letter."

"Obviously it's about the letter. It doesn't bother you at all?"

Kairi and Sora shook their heads in disagreement. "Nothing's happened." Kairi said positively, smiling. "I'm sure that we don't have to lose sleep over it or anything. If it's important, we'll know when the time is right."

"She has a point, Riku." Sora agreed. "There's no reason to freak out over this. We don't even know what the message means, so why worry about it? If anything comes up, we'll be okay."

At that moment, he summoned his Keyblade. In a fraction of a second, the weapon appeared in his left hand, shining in the sunlight. The gold handle and silver blade shimmered intensely, seeming to glow. Slashing just once through the air, he looked from Riku to Kairi with an intent look of extreme seriousness.

"I've still got this. We have no reason to be concerned at all. I swear that we'll be okay."

Riku watched his friend solemnly. This boy was only 15, and yet he had gone through such torment in the past year or so that it had changed him forever. He knew what it was to fight for his life and the lives of others, to see another die before him, and to be on the brink of death himself. He had been away from home, completely on his own, blindly searching for a way back. In the end he had found it, but not without sacrifice. This Sora, standing on the pier of their island, Keyblade in hand, was entirely unlike the Sora he had known when he was younger. And deep down he was positive he would never see that Sora again.

Sora dismissed the Keyblade and continued down onto the beach. Kairi looked at Riku sadly, sharing his thoughts. The both of them knew their Sora was never going to be the same. He had seen too much, and no matter how hardened he was, no 15-year-old could handle the terror he had been through. Neither of them ever wanted to see that happen to him again.

* * *

Sora sat and studied the waves. They rolled in, uninterrupted, in perfect sync. Nothing ever changed about them. Back before the night of the storm, the night that changed his life forever, this kind of repetitiveness would have inspired him to go somewhere new, to explore the universe around him and find something incredible, something he wouldn't be able to see anywhere else. Now he knew better. He knew what was out there. And sure, he had seen some pretty unbelievable things, and met a lot of new people whom he'd never forget. But there was more to it than memorable friends made on a journey and sights to be seen. There had been grief, fear, confusion, lies, death, and so much more. It had torn him apart, and he never wanted to leave his tedious, diminutive island ever again. He wanted to stay here and watch the waves crash into the shoreline rhythmically. All Sora wanted anymore was to live in peace and forget what had happened to him.

A moment later, he became aware of movement beside him. Glancing over, he noticed that Kairi had sat down in the sand next to him.

"Sora, please, don't worry about it." she pleaded gently, taking his hand. "We know it upsets you, and we'll try not to bring it up. Don't worry. Please."

Sora looked at her and noticed for the first time since he had returned that there was a profound sadness in her gaze. Nodding slowly, he clasped her hand in his. "All right, I won't worry. But you don't either, okay?" The girl agreed, a smile returning to her face. Riku came over and sat on Sora's other side, punching his arm humorously.

"Forget about it, Sora, I was just thinking out loud." There was an awkward silence. "But you remember what it said, right?" he continued. "It was all broken up. Leave it to Mickey to make it confusing."

"The King sent that letter not too long after we came home." Sora remembered. "I wonder what could have come up so soon…."

_Master of Keyblade_

_Memory of Xehanort _

_Chasers… _

_The Lost Two_

_Keyblade War _

_Everything is born…because of the Slumber._


	2. Chapter 2: The Keyblade Master

Sora waved goodbye to Riku and Kairi, walking up the worn dirt path to his house. Up on the hill, he turned around and looked out over the ocean, considering the island from afar. It looked as if nothing had ever happened to it. But the time he had been here before his second journey began; it had been ripped apart and decimated. He knew he had changed that himself. He knew he had changed a lot. Including his own state of mind.

Sighing dejectedly, he made his way up the rest of the hill towards his house, which was five houses away from Riku and Kairi's. He always remembered this, because when he was much younger he'd count the houses as he ran down the hill to meet them. _Wow_, he thought sadly, _right when I try not to remember anything, everything comes back._

At that moment, a rushing feeling swept through Sora's head. Stopping, he watched the world spin in front of him, and suddenly everything tilted upwards, the ground swerving up to meet him. Then, as soon as it had begun, it was over, and everything turned black.

* * *

"Where am I?" Sora asked himself, standing up and looking around. He was standing in mid-air, surrounded by nothing except pure black void.

_An inner sanctum. _A booming voice, devoid of all emotion, answered._ No one else can possibly get here but you and those connected with you._

"Then who are you, huh?"

_I am Nothing. _

"Nothing?"

_I am what there was before. And I am what there will be after. Nothing._

"Before what? And after what?"

_You will know, soon enough. You are here for a reason, Keyblade master._

Sora stiffened. "I'm not the Keyblade master."

_Oh? Is that so?_ The Keyblade appeared once again in Sora's hand. _Then why does it still react to your will?_

"I may still wield it, but that game's over. I'm home now and I'm done with world saving. Forever."

_You may have accomplished saving the universe, but that does not at all entitle you to end your journey as the Keyblade master. There is a legacy to fulfill._

"Legacy? I haven't heard of any legacies."

_True, no Keyblade master is born knowing, and you haven't been told. So of course you are ignorant of the fact that you are a reincarnation._

Sora gasped in absolute shock. "A reincarnation? I'm reincarnated?"

_Yes, Keyblade master. You are a reincarnation. Every Keyblade master there ever was has been a reincarnation of the very first Keyblade master. _

"But that's impossible." Sora said softly. "Riku was the true master of the Keyblade. I got it by dumb luck."

_Dumb luck, perhaps, yet it also chose you for the power of your heart. Your heart was the door to the light, the pathway to victory over the darkness. You are still a part of the cycle. When Riku was born, his fate was sealed. It was known that he would without a doubt turn to the darkness. So the duty was passed on, to a certain boy born one year later._

"Me." Sora said with disbelief.

_Yes, you. You are the next Keyblade master to complete the legacy and earn your place among all the other Keyblade masters._

"And how do I do that?"

_Remember the letter from the King._

"The….letter?"

There was a bright flash of light, and the void disappeared from Sora's view.

* * *

"Huh…?" Sora moaned, rolling over in the dirt. A blurry image of Riku and Kairi appeared above him. Kairi sighed with relief, and Riku shook his head tiredly.

"Good, he's alive." the older boy muttered.

"Thank goodness you woke up." Kairi said, sighing again. "We thought you were in a coma, or something. We've been here almost a half an hour."

"What?" Sora asked again, not coming to terms with the situation. "What ha—"

Riku lifted him up off the ground and put his arm around Sora's shoulder. "No time for that. We're walking you home, okay? Just shut up."

"The…sanctum…reincarnated…" he said feverishly, mumbling almost to himself. Kairi was saying something to him in a calm voice, telling him that whatever dream he had had was just a dream, and not to obsess over it. "But, no…the letter…" he continued, trying as best as he could to get the point across.

"Sora, you've got a fever. You're hallucinating." she said patiently. "We're taking you home, and tomorrow you probably won't remember any of this. Calm down."

"Letter…" he whispered, passing out.

* * *

"Sora? Are you awake?" A girl's voice echoed through his mind. Still unconscious, he mentally reacted to the voice.

"No. Namine?"

"Yes, Sora. It's me."

"But…why?"

Namine paused. He couldn't see her, of course, only hear. But by the tone of her voice he could tell she was very worried. "Kairi's heart is reacting. She's frantic about what's come about you."

"Kairi…aw, man, what happened…?"

Another voice joined his own. "Sora?"

"Not you, too—Roxas?"

"Yeah. I'm still here, remember? Half of you?"

"Oh, right, yeah. I remember now."

"Sora, listen, please." Namine urged, her voice rising in worry. "You're sick because of what happened. That void, the encounter with Nothing, it wasn't supposed to happen. No Keyblade master has ever or will ever experience that."

"Why not? Why did it happen to me?"

"Because of me." Roxas said sadly. His voice became almost lifeless with guilt. "Because no other Keyblade master had a Nobody, either."

"It's not your fault, Roxas!" Namine said resolutely. "The only reason Sora's heart reacted to the situation in that way was because he has two sides to his heart. One side reacted, but not the other. So he was brought where Nothing was."

"Which is where?"

"It isn't really anywhere at all. It was just a subconscious state of mind, I assume. Nothing isn't real. It must have only been your mind telling you something, just like a dream. Theoretically, it _was_ a dream and nothing more."

"Then is what it said untrue?" Sora's question was worried. He wished with all of his heart that it was a lie.

"No, Sora. I'm sorry. It was all exact."

"You have to follow their legacy." Roxas added. "At some point, something's going to happen to trigger the beginning of it all. All we—well, you—can do is wait for it."

"I can't stop it?"

"Impossible." Namine said apologetically. "Like it was said, you are a reincarnation. The voice in your dream was the voice of the Keyblade masters before you, combined into a single manifestation. It told you what you were, and what you had to do, and it's what ever Keyblade master has had to do. But they didn't get a hint like that."

"Because they didn't have a Nobody." Roxas repeated sorrowfully. "Their heart could only react one way, so their mind didn't throw that at them. They wouldn't get sick like this, either."

"Roxas!" Namine's voice was swamped with anger. "For the last time, this isn't your fault! It was a coincidence." Her voice calmed, and she redirected her discussion to Sora. "Kairi's waiting with you. That's why I was able to get through to you and Roxas. When you wake up, thank her for me. She was the one who let me through in the first place." A sort of sadness crept into her tone. "She really is worried, Sora. She cares about you more than you know."

Roxas's voice drifted to him quietly. "Sorry about this."

With that, their voices left him, and Sora drifted back into quiet, uninterrupted sleep.

* * *

"Sora? Sora, wake up." a voice pleaded, almost sounding shaky. Was there a hint of crying? "Sora, please, wake up."

"Ka…Kairi…?" Sora moaned, opening his eyes weakly. She was sitting in a chair beside him, looking more worried than he had ever seen her. A single tear escaped and slid down her face slowly. "Wh…what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Sora, I'm just…"

"You're worried." She looked at him, taken aback. "Namine told me. She said to thank you."

"Oh. Um, it was nothing, really. I didn't know what was going on, and I guessed maybe she did. So I wanted her to talk to you."

"I know now. It's nothing big." he lied. "Don't worry about me, Kairi. I'm all right."

"Oh Sora…" she sobbed, leaning on him and crying into his sweatshirt. "I can't stand to see you like this anymore. Ever since you came home, you've been so sad—like you're afraid to move forward, afraid that if you do, something will happen to separate us again. Riku and I, we know you've been through a lot. We know that you're different and that what happened before scared you and upset you and you don't ever want to see that again." She paused to catch her breath, and let out another sob. "It's terrible, that you're so miserable even though we're together. I just want you to be happy and to know that no matter what, I'll always be with you. Please don't worry about what's going to happen. The future is the future, and we'll get through it, together, just like we got through it before."

Sora stared at the ceiling in shock. Kairi had just almost exactly pinpointed his anxieties sparked by the letter's arrival. She understood when he thought that no one ever would. Half of what she had said had been drowned out by her tears, but that didn't matter to him. What she had said came from her heart, and that was all that was important.

As best as he could, he sat up and hugged her, listening quietly as she cried herself into hysterics. "Kairi." he said quietly. "Stop crying, okay?" She snuffled a little and looked up at him. "You're right. I am scared. I'm scared out of my mind. I wouldn't be able to stand it if we got separated again. All I want is to be with you, and Riku, but I know that if that letter has anything to do with something that's about to happen, I might have to leave again." Tears fell as he tried to hide what Namine had told him. "I don't want to leave. I want to stay here. That's all I want." He shook as he cried.

"Thinking of you." Kairi said softly. Sora stopped halfway through a sob and stared at her, surprised.

"Wherever you are." He finished, wiping a tear away.

Kairi smiled and nodded. "Remember that, Sora." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "Always, we're together."

Sora sniffed and went on crying, hugging Kairi tightly as she cried with him.

* * *

Riku looked up. "You're back."

"Yup." Sora said tiredly, sitting down in the sand. "Still sick, I guess, but better enough to be back."

"What made you sick in the first place?" There was a pause. "Was it your…other you?" Riku knew very little about Roxas at all. In fact, he only knew that he was there somehow and that was it. But he had to ask.

"No, it wasn't his fault." Sora said matter-of-factly. "He wouldn't do that. Anxiety got the best of me, that's all."

His friend nodded. "Kairi was really upset, Sora."

The brown-haired boy stared at the sky. "I know. She talked to me, a little while ago. She's okay now."

"Are you sure?" Riku asked. "You never know, she might just be trying to be strong about it, for you."

"No, I'm positive. She's fine."

As if on cue, Kairi sprinted across the beach and sat next to Sora. "Hi guys."

"Hey." Riku said quietly, managing a feeble wave. The three looked out at the ocean silently. No one spoke for a long time.

"Looking out there…" Kairi whispered. "…it reminds me of when we were little. And we wondered how far the ocean went on for."

Sora smiled happily. "Yeah. I was what, seven? I always thought that it just went on forever and ever."

Riku laughed. "Which is why you were afraid to build the raft. You thought we'd get lost in the middle of the ocean and just keep going the wrong way for the rest of our lives."

"Yeah, so you said 'Fine, we'll wait until you're older then.' And we waited. Seven more years." Sora scoffed. "And we never even finished it."

"But we got out there, didn't we?" Riku said ironically.

"Even me!" Kairi said cheerfully.

"And we may have gotten lost, but we found the right way back." Sora ended, nodding his head slowly in realization. "It may have been a nightmare, but we found the right way back home in the end."

Riku and Kairi looked at their friend and realized that then, at that moment; Sora had come to terms with what had happened. They knew that he wouldn't be forever haunted by the experience anymore, and that he would be able to accept what had happened and move on. It turned out that talking about the past helped the future.

"Sora." Kairi said gently. "You _were_ the right way back."

"Yeah." Riku agreed. Sora looked at them with confusion.

"I was the door…" he said slowly. "I was what I was looking for all along. So I didn't really find the _door_…but I found you guys. We all came back, because of me?"

"That's right. You were the road that brought us together again." Kairi said, putting her hand on his shoulder. The three friends sat for a moment, letting the thought sink in, and then they continued the silence while they watched the ocean waves.


	3. Chapter 3: A New Journey

Sora sat down on his bed wearily. "Tired…" he mumbled, looking at the digital clock on his dresser. It was already a little past midnight. Groaning and lying back, he hit the mattress with a quiet thud, and within minutes, he was fast asleep.

* * *

What seemed like only a few minutes later, he was aware of a dull buzzing noise. Rolling over, he tried to ignore it. _It's 3 AM, I'm going back to sleep, darn it,_ he thought to himself. But then it got louder, and louder, until it was almost deafening. Sitting up, he looked out his window and gasped.

The Destiny Islands were in chaos. The entire island looked as if it had been leveled with a wrecking ball, and the area surrounding his house was destroyed and, in some places, on fire. Jumping up, grabbing his shoes and running outside in a full sprint, he was met by an even bigger shock.

The islands were being attacked. And not by Heartless, or Nobodies, but by two—only two—figures in black cloaks.

_Organization XIII, _Sora thought frantically. _No, that's impossible. They're dead, all of them_. _So then what the…?!_

"Sora!!" a terrified yell snapped him away from his thoughts. Looking around anxiously, he noticed a few people running down the hill towards where the rowboats to the island were kept. One person had stopped at the very top, and stood there now, fearfully watching him.

Kairi.

"K-Kairi?!" he screamed, sprinting over as fast as he possibly could. Dodging explosions and flaming patches of foliage, he made it about halfway there when a black blur rushed past him and appeared next to Kairi. With a gloved hand, one of the two cloaked figures reached out and grabbed her arm.

"_Let go of her_!!" Sora ordered, lashing out with the Keyblade. The figure backed up, bringing Kairi with it. She whimpered and looked at Sora, petrified.

Sora glowered at the figure with extreme anger and loathing. "Let…her…_go_."

"What do you think YOU can do about it, Keyblade Master?"

"Anything I want." he answered, striking his opponent painfully with the Keyblade. The figure glanced at its scratched shoulder and shrugged.

"If that's all, I'll be leaving now." It turned, walking away and dragging Kairi alongside it.

"Sora!!" she shrieked, sobbing. Sora swore and lunged forward again, landing a blow directly on the figure's back. The figure spun around to face him and punched with all its might, sending Sora reeling into the dirt, overcome with pain. He tasted blood in his mouth, but he struggled to get up. Running at his foe in spite of that, he was able to assault it with spells—namely Fire. After a mass of spells had been unleashed, Kairi was released from the figure's weakened grip. Running over to Sora, she hid behind him. Sora backed up until she was between him and a wall.

The figure closed in. "So you think that you can single-handedly protect your little girlfriend there?"

"I have before." Sora replied, glaring. "You try that one more time and I'll destroy you."

"Ooh, aren't I scared. A little teenager, standing up against me." The figure removed his charred hood to reveal the face of a boy, close to Sora's own age. "Not that I can talk," he said, pushing white-blonde bangs away from his dark brown eyes.

"Huh…?" Sora muttered, taken aback. "Who are you?"

"The name's Xaice. Remember that, all right pal? I'll be seeing you again soon." The boy snapped his fingers. "Xarik! We're leaving!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, the other figure hurried over. "Yes, sir." The voice was softer, gentler, but still dark. Xarik held up a hand and prepared their escape, but Xaice shook his head.

"No, no, Xarik, be polite! Pay your respects to the 'valiant' Keyblade Master!" he said sarcastically. Then he scowled and spat at Sora's feet. "Waste of my time."

"It's an honor, Keyblade Master." Xarik said bitterly. The hood was pulled back, and the face of a girl, also Sora's age, appeared. She had hair about the same length as Kairi's, only it was a light lavender color. Her eyes were a dull silver, but somehow still beautiful—even as she glared at Sora with extreme revulsion. "It truly is exceptional to meet the boy who killed my mother."

"She's not your mother, Xar." Xaice said with an annoyed tone. Sighing, he turned his attention to Sora. "Take a good look, you moron. We'll be seeing you again. Only next time…" he snickered. "Next time you'll be begging for us to spare your life."

In a purple flash, the boy disappeared. Xarik smirked at them evilly, then addressed them in a vicious tone. "I've been given orders. You are being sent away. That other boy, Riku, traitor that he is, will be waiting for you there. In time—we'll find you. And you'll pay for what you did to Organization XIII. My mother or not, I will avenge Larxene."

_Send us away…_Sora's eyes widened. "No. Please, don't, no…"

"This is wonderful," the girl said cruelly. "The almighty Keyblade Master, crying at my feet and pleading to be left alone. How satisfying." She raised her hand and mumbled a few words. Sora grabbed Kairi's hand as strongly as he could and quickly turned around while Xarik was still busy.

"Kairi. Hold on to my hand and don't let go for a second."

Kairi stared at him and nodded, dread appearing in her expression. Xarik finished what she was saying and leered at them one last time.

"Have fun. And don't die before we get there—that'd get my hopes down."

There was a bright flash, and everything spun. Sora held in a sob. It was happening again. He was leaving. Kairi and Riku would be with him, but they were all in danger. No matter what anyone said, it wasn't going to be all right. Still gripping Kairi's hand securely, he managed to turn sideways and put both arms around her tightly before their feet left the ground of their home, for the second time in Sora's life.

* * *

_I didn't want this to happen, you know._

_I realize that. You weren't trying to do anything wrong. It wasn't your fault._

_Namine, what's going to happen to me if Sora dies?_

…_he won't die, Roxas. Trust in him, and help him when he needs it. Have faith that his heart is still strong enough to protect himself and others around him. Give him the courage he needs._

_Courage? I don't know. I can feel something different, deep down. It wasn't there before, when we connected. It's making everything worse._

_That's because the situation then was different. That feeling, Roxas, is sorrow. Try and understand it. You'll be noticing it a lot now. Perhaps all the time._

_Sorrow…do I know sorrow?_

_You do, as do I. All people know sorrow._

_But Namine, we're Nobodies…we're not people. We can't feel._

_Not people by design—but are we truly not people at all? _

_I guess…I guess not._

_Remember that, Roxas. Remember that even though you lack what most people have, it doesn't, for any reason, make you any less a person than them. Nobodies are just different. That is all._

_I will, Namine. Thank you._

* * *

Sora's eyes opened very slowly. For a moment, all he saw was black. _Am I dead?_, he thought with horror. _Did I die? No…that girl, she said not to die. So how could I be dead already?_, he remembered sullenly. "Huh...?" he managed to mumble. A chuckling sound came from above him.

"Miracles never end with you, do they?" Riku said with false cheer. Even half-awake, Sora could tell that his friend was faking it. Behind the laugh there was intense worry, and fear.

"Riku…?"

"Good, at least you remember who I am. That's a step in the right direction."

"Kairi…?"

"She's sleeping. You've been unconscious all night, and she tried to stay up to make sure you were okay and everything. She fell asleep on the job, see?" Riku lifted him up into a sitting position and pointed beside him.

"Riku, I can't see…"

"What? How come?"

"I don't know…" Suddenly, Sora felt pressure on the side of his head, and everything came into view, blurry at first, but slowly cleared up. "Did you just hit me?"

"You were still asleep, genius. All that talking was in your sleep. But anyway, see what I mean?" he pointed again, and this time Sora saw what he meant. Sora was in a bed, in what seemed to be a very familiar room. On the floor, next to him, was Kairi, who had fallen asleep sitting against the side of the bed. Riku had been asleep on the couch across the room, but when Sora had started talking he had gotten up and walked over. "She fell asleep sometime this morning, I guess. I woke up and you two were here, so I have no clue when you came."

"What happened?"

"Somebody attacked the island. I met two people in cloaks. Their names were—ah, what were they…?"

"Xarik and Xaice?" Sora asked, suddenly recalling the names of the boy and girl who he had faced.

"No." Riku answered calmly, but Sora gasped. "What?"

"Then there were more. I saw two, Xarik and Xaice."

"I saw two, too, but they were Rarext and Zaix."

"Saix?!" Sora murmured.

"No, Zaix. He had to tell me three times before I got it. I thought it was Saix, too." He sighed. "Here we are again. Off on another whirlwind adventure." Riku added, bitter sarcasm entering his voice. Sora's heart sank—it was true, they had been torn from everything they knew and loved, once more. Now they were who knows where, probably sitting ducks in yet another evil plot. Great.

But where were they…?

"Riku." Sora said suddenly, causing his friend to jump slightly. "Where are we?"

Riku laughed. "Where else? Traverse Town. Leon and Yuffie are next door."

"Leon and Yuffie…they're here?"

"You bet we are!" a cheerful voice drifted in from the neighboring room. The door swung open, and Yuffie hopped in, smiling for all she was worth. "Hey there, Sora!"

"Yuffie!" he said happily, grinning for the first time in nearly two days. "How's it going?"

"Just great! Squall's here too, but he's being…his reclusive self…SQUALL, c'mon in!!"

There was a long pause, and then: "It's _Leon_."

"Yes, yes, of course, then come in, _Leon_."

Leon shuffled into the room, staring at the floor. Reluctantly, he lifted his gaze and nodded towards Sora. "Good to see you."

"You too, Leon." he answered, still grinning. Leon managed a pained smile, but then quickly returned to his usual scowl, taking a seat on the now empty couch. Yuffie shook her head and bounced across the room, stopping next to Riku.

"You never introduced us to Riku, now did you Sora?" Riku smirked awkwardly.

"I…I guess not." ­_That's right_, he thought, _they've never met Riku before. He wasn't there, all those times that I saw them._

"Well, he introduced himself, so that's okay. And Kairi…" she continued, looking down at the still-sleeping girl. "We've never met her, either." She shot an amused glance at Sora.

Leon blinked. "So she's the one you were looking for, that first time?"

Sora nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

"And you ended up finding her _and_ Riku." Leon scoffed. "I always thought that'd be how it ended."

"But it hasn't ended, Squall!!"

"LEON."

"Leon, whatever—but it _hasn't_, you know!"

The brown-haired swordsman stared at the wall silently. "I know it hasn't. There's still a long way to go."

"You mean the letter." Sora said quietly. Yuffie glanced down at the floor.

"Yeah, the letter. That's the next part."

"True." Leon said seriously, standing up. "The next part of his story."


	4. Chapter 4: More Than Willing

Xarik glanced up, teary-eyed. "You mean we have to wait?"

"Yeah," Xaice said calmly, pulling the strings on his hood with obvious boredom. "Why are you so upset about it?"

"Because." the girl said angrily. "I want to kill him _now_."

"Hey, hey, be patient, Xar," another boy added. He tossed his russet-colored hair and looked at her, his sarcasm and flippant attitude illustrated through his hazel eyes. "You'll get your chance soon enough."

"But…I have to…for my…"

"For the _last_ time," Xaice interrupted, losing his composure in a single moment. "Larxene wasn't, nor will she ever be, your mother. She's not related to you. Just listen to Zai and shut your mouth."

"Yes, sir." she answered dutifully. The other boy, Zaix, blinked.

"I didn't tell her to shut her mouth."

"Well _I_ did, so you shut yours too."

Silently, Xarik stood and stared at the floor. "I know she wasn't my mother. Just like Axel wasn't your father, D-men."

"Ugh, I _hate_ that nickname…but you're right." Xaice said, nodding. "He wasn't. And Saix wasn't related to Zaix, even though _someone_ lacked the brains to name their kid something far enough from that…and Rare has nothing. She's just…there."

A girl walked into the room, glaring at the others with piercing red eyes framed by blonde hair. "Meaning what? Are you calling me worthless?"

"No, no, of course not…why would I call my girlfriend worthless?" Xaice said, grinning. Rarext rolled her eyes and continued scowling.

"I'm not your girlfriend. We Nobodies can't feel emotion, and I'm not for pretending, thanks. Get a life already, Xaice."

The boy's grin faded into a glare. "Whatever. But really, you've got nothing. There was only one girl in the Organization last time around, so it's not like you follow anyone. Xar follows Larxene, so you missed out."

"This 'following' crud is a lie and you know it. It's just something Ri made up."

"How dare you call him that! He's our leader, show some respect!" Zaix argued, giving up when Rarext kicked him in the shin. She continued, speaking in an irritated tone of voice.

"He's trying to give us someone to look up to, so we don't end up stupid and useless, like that failure Xemnas." She shot a poisonous look at Xarik. "Larxene isn't your mother, and the only reason you're hanging on to that is because you idolize her too much. So get your head out of the clouds, idiot, and come back to reality."

"That's wrong. You know that when a Nobody is created, by fate their paths as a member of the Organization are chosen. We have paths that match those of others for a reason." Xarik defended. Rarext swore and kicked the wall, annoyed beyond self-control.

"Who cares? We've got something to fight for, now." Xaice interrupted, jumping off of the chair he had been sitting on. "We got dignity and the good name of the Organization to fight for, remember that. So all in all, it doesn't matter if we're following anything or not. We're fighting for a darn good purpose."

"To defeat Sora." Xarik muttered. Xaice smirked and slowly nodded.

"That's right." a fifth person entered the room, visibly taller than all the rest. Immediately, the four who had already been present dropped to their knees and addressed the figure in unison.

"Superior."

"At ease, all of you." the figure ordered. "Xaice, step forward."

The boy obeyed and took one step forward, bowing respectfully. "The Double-Bladed Menace, at your service, sir." he said eagerly.

"Xarik. Zaix. Rarext."

The three stepped forward and bowed.

"The Pierce of Defeat, at your service, sir."

"The Deceitful Bandit, at your service, sir."

"The Malevolent Princess, here."

"Rarext!" Xaice, Xarik, and Zaix shouted.

"Show him _respect_." Xaice hissed, becoming serious. Rarext sighed and added a half-hearted, slightly apologetic bow.

"You are all commended for your work on the assignment last night. You have my admiration…both for destroying the island fully and completely, and escorting the three targets away from their home-world effectively."

"Thank you, sir." the four said in unison.

"Your next assignment is in one month." Xarik cringed, noting the time frame between now and when she would have a chance to fight Sora. "The orders will be given in time, but I have decided that only three of you will go. Those three: Xaice…"

"Yes, sir."

"Xarik."

Xarik gasped with joy and shock. "Yes, sir. Th-thank you, sir."

"And Lenexa."

"Len?" Xaice and Xarik asked, blinking. A boy with short black hair, with one blonde streak, and bluish-gray eyes entered, grinning. Rarext rolled her eyes, and even Zaix sighed.

"Heya people, what's going down?" he asked blithely, waving.

"He's going on the next mission…with me and Xar?" Xaice asked, hesitant. Their leader nodded solemnly.

"Yes, he will be needed for this assignment. Lenexa's swift and agile fighting style will be incredibly important in the battle to come."

"Battle?" Xarik's eyes glowed with excitement.

"You will be battling the Keyblade Master, yes. But I can't give away anymore at this time. You will be briefed one day before the assignment is to initiate. Dismissed."

"Sir." all five said at once, bowing as he left.

Xaice shot a death glare at Lenexa, who smiled awkwardly and waved. "Len…" he muttered. "Let's get one thing straight. We go on the mission. We fight Sora. And most importantly, never forget that…"

"_I'm_ the one who's going to kill him." Xarik finished, leaving the room abruptly.

There was a long pause. Lenexa glanced from the door to Xaice.

"Is she, by any chance, like, OCD or something?"

Xaice opened his mouth to answer, but then frowned. "You know…I'm really not sure." Rarext groaned.

"You are so, _so_ stupid, all of you…" she walked towards the door. Xaice waved.

"See ya' later, dearest!" he called, laughing out loud. Zaix snickered, and Lenexa went into a complete hysterical fit of laughing.

"_Moron_!" she screamed back, slamming the door behind her.

The blonde haired boy watched the door. Turning to Zaix and Lenexa, he nodded and smirked lightheartedly. "Ya know it. She loves me."

* * *

Sora sat on the bench in the Second District and sighed. "Why are we doing this again, Leon?"

Leon stood about nine feet away, Gunblade in hand. "Because you need to learn to fight, or else you'll never make it."

"I already _know_ how to fight." the younger boy whined, holding up his Keyblade as evidence. "Note the whole 'saved the universe _twice_' thing."

"You may know how to fight…" Riku said, sitting next to him and shoving him off the bench teasingly. "…but you don't know how to fight the _right_ way."

"Right." Leon said as Sora climbed back onto the bench, fuming. "So I'm going to teach you—both of you—the correct way to fight in a battle. For example…" he picked up a wooden sword from nearby. "How to fight with two weapons."

"I can _do_ that." Sora grumbled, willing another Keyblade to appear. He swung them through the air a few times just to demonstrate his point. "See?"

Riku shook his head. "You're off balance."

"And your timing on each swing is all wrong."

"Not to mention…" Riku began to say, but Sora cut him off mid-sentence.

"Well what the _heck,_ yell at me some more why don't ya?" Riku and Leon exchanged glances and shook their heads.

"No, it's like this. C'mere." Sora got up and walked over to Leon. "Hold them as close to the same angle as possible, and don't swing them separately unless you have a perfectly good reason…like if you're covered on three sides, and you need to hold the third off until you knock the other two away." He lined up the two Keyblades. "Like this. When you _do_ swing them, swing them together, as one weapon. Never treat them like they're separate, because they aren't. They're two halves of the same whole. Now…" he stepped back about thirty feet. "I'm your enemy. Attack me."

Sora looked at the Keyblades in his hands. _Two halves of the same whole_, he thought. _It's true, really. The Keyblade chose me for the power of my heart, and it represents the power of one heart. No matter how many forms of the Keyblade you have, they're always just a part of the whole Keyblade itself. So swing them as one. Attack the enemy as one. Me and the Keyblade, attack as one._ He stepped twice, never really touching the ground completely, and broke into a run. _Attack as one_. Step, step, step…jump. Sora leapt up, now only a foot or two away from Leon, and swung. Both Keyblades sliced through the air in perfect sync, reaching their target at the same exact moment, sending Leon flying back several yards until he landed hard on the pavement. Riku stared in shock.

"What the…that…that was _crazy_." he said, stunned. "I've never seen you hit _anything_ that hard in your _life_."

Sora was surprised, too. He had felt a kind of harmony, a more dynamic sense of control, surging in his mind as he had swung. It was like right then, he had really and truly discovered how to utilize the Keyblade as it should be—with every ounce of power and energy it could possibly acquire.

Leon shook his head and stumbled up. "That was…good. You're done for the day."

Sora grinned. "Yes! See ya later, guys, I'm gonna go find…"

"No, you're not." the oldest of the three instructed. "I said you were done _practicing_ for the day. You still have to watch Riku practice."

The Keyblader groaned. "No way…"

"You learn from each other. I can drill lessons into your heads every day for the next year, but you'll never get it down fully until you see it from a different perspective."

Riku smirked. "That's right. Watch and learn from the best of the best, kid."

"Hmph." Sora reluctantly leaned against the brick partition behind him and observed Riku and Leon, slightly uninterested.

"Okay, Riku. Do you have a Keyblade, yes or no?"

The silver-haired boy nodded. "Right here." He summoned it in a flash. "It can't do as much as Sora's. Like seal worlds, for one. It can open stuff, though."

"All of the Keyblades, light or otherwise, can do that at least. Does it swing well?"

"I guess," Riku answered, shrugging. "I mostly used dark attacks along with a swing. But I don't really _have_ any dark attacks anymore…"

Leon nodded, thinking to himself. "That's okay. We'll just find a way to put the same amount of power into just the swing. Try focusing the same way you would for a dark attack, only direct the power into your swing."

Sora sighed and brushed a loose wisp of hair from his face. _How's he going to that? The only way of fighting Riku ever knew was with the darkness. He's basically light now, but how's he going to change, just like that?_ His thoughts were shattered in the next moment. Riku's Keyblade started to glow as he stood frozen, staring ahead of him with no expression. After a few seconds, it glowed more. In an instant, Riku leapt up, clearing four feet of space in a single motion. Landing on the ground and turning in a 180 degree angle on one foot, he kicked out with one foot, knocking Leon to the ground. Placing that foot down ahead of him, he pushed off the ground and back-flipped another foot, landing only for a split second. Rushing forward, he swung downward and cut the sleeve off of Leon's jacket. The entire attack, start to finish, had been executed in a matter of seconds.

Leon, obviously, was stunned beyond words. He sat up, dazed, and managed a small grin. "You've got it in you, for sure. Nice job."

Riku only smiled. "Thanks." Turning to Sora, he nodded matter-of-factly. "What'd I tell you? The best of the best."

The younger boy rolled his eyes. "Uh huh. Sure." But inside his head, he was as amazed as Leon was. _How did he manage to do that? He was always the better fighter, but never to that extent, really. I guess—people really can change, at any time, as long as they want to. It must not matter what the odds are, as long as they're willing to beat them._ He looked at his friend and grinned. _And he sure was more than willing to give the good side another try._


	5. Chapter 5: A New Organization?

"C'mon Ace, don't just sit there and sulk. Help us plan!!" Xaice pleaded, grinning. The other boy sat quietly, his short brown hair twitching slightly as he bounced in his chair. The room was quiet, the white walls reflecting the six Nobodies like a mirror.

"Be quiet, Xai."

"No one calls me that."

"D-men's better?"

"Good point. But still, the five of us are all planning, and you're just sitting over there and being anti-social." Xaice dragged the other boy's chair over and beamed. "There. All better."

"No…worse…"

"Xaice, leave Texal alone." Rarext snapped, glaring angrily. Xaice shrugged.

"What can I say, Princess? I'm kinda like a fly. I buzz in your ear 'till it drives you nuts, then I leave."

"Well, leave then. And don't you ever call me Princess again, got that?"

"Okay, angel," he answered, smirking and laughing. Rarext snapped a pencil in half in her fist and threw it at him. Xarik rolled her eyes as she leaned over a notebook, and Zaix, along with Lenexa, started to crack up. Texal shook his head and stared at the page Xarik was scribbling on.

"Whatcha got there?" he asked as he absentmindedly shuffled a deck of cards, carefully avoiding the razor edges.

"Plans for when Xaice, Len, and I face Sora next week. Any ideas? We've already got…Side Attack, Formation 6, and…'bore him to death'. Wittingly provided by Moron Boy over there." Xaice waved, snickering.

Texal considered the plans. "What kind of area are we fighting in?"

"Ri' said it was an open area, mostly…" The other members flinched. "…with a fountain at the far end from where we enter. There's a flight of stairs to the left and a walkway that wraps around up top. It's called the Second District. Here's some visuals." Rarext handed him a few data sheets with some pictures.

"Huh," he said, his sea green eyes darting across the page. "It looks like Formation 6 would work, but 7 might be better, and 8 would be okay, but that'd be pushing the envelope."

"I like pushing the envelope!" Lenexa cheered, firing a shot into the air. It vanished seconds later, harming nothing.

"We can see that." Xarik said dryly. "But we're not messing up, got that? It's all or nothing, here." There was a long pause as she let that sink in. Apparently it didn't, because Lenexa jokingly fired a shot at Xaice, who returned with a few bursts of flame and a sword swipe. She ignored the chaos and turned to Texal. "Formation 7 sounds fine. Thanks for the help."

"Any time," he replied, moving his chair away from the group and shuffling his cards again.

The door swung open. "Ahem."

Xaice froze mid swing, and Lenexa slowly took his hand off the trigger of his shooter. Xarik and Rarext leapt up, followed by Xaice, Texal, and finally, Lenexa.

Their leader stood before them. "I have an announcement to make."

"Yes, sir," the other answered, bowing.

"Or, rather…he has an announcement." Stepping aside, he revealed a boy standing not too far behind him. The six others gasped.

"It's him." Lenexa murmured, awe-struck. Xaice swallowed nervously. "No way…" Texal added as Rarext tried to calm herself down from the shock. Xarik's expression was clouded by her surprise.

"Listen to him." Their leader instructed, leaving the room.

"Yes sir," the six replied, uneasy at the thought of being alone with the boy. They never saw him, so when they did, it was exceedingly unnerving, sometimes downright daunting. It wasn't his blindness…they hardly even perceived it, half the time; because he was so alert of his surroundings…it was his enigmatic presence. And the history of who he followed only made it worse. It wasn't spoken of, ever.

He stepped forward, and the others jumped up in terror and stepped back, all the way back, until their backs touched the opposite wall.

There was complete silence and then: "Hello."

Xaice was the first to reply. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and walked forward until he was no more than three feet away from the reason for their panic.

"Hello, Fayxt. Pleasure to see you."

"Don't be nervous," the boy asked, staring blankly ahead with dull gray eyes. "I can tell you're anxious. I just have a request."

"Okay. It's just that we never see you, and…"

Fayxt interrupted abruptly. "Right, that's true, isn't it? Well, it can't be helped. You, Xaice, is it? Two others are helping you face Sora, right?"

"Yes…Xarik and Lenexa."

"Oh! Xarik…I met her, a while ago. She's back against the wall, isn't she?"

"Uh huh." Xaice turned his head and motioned for Lenexa and Xarik to come stand beside him. They approached cautiously.

"Hello," they said quietly, trembling. Fayxt stepped forward again, sending a rush of alarm through every one of the six, especially the three closest to him. No one moved, however, and they listened as he shared his request.

"When you fight Sora, I want you to watch him closely." he stopped, waiting for them to register the information. "You are Nobodies…we all are, here…so you can see other Nobodies like us perfectly. If, at any time, you see Roxas _at all_, I want you to stop all manner of combat immediately, and leave." Xarik held in her protest. The last thing she wanted to do was leave the battle without getting her revenge. "You can not, under any conditions, attack Sora if and when you see Roxas. Understood?"

"Understood." Xaice and Lenexa answered honestly. Xarik hesitated, and Fayxt turned in her direction.

"Understood, Xarik?"

The lavender-haired girl glowered angrily. "Understood."

"Perfect," Fayxt ended. "Now I know I'm not in any danger." Turning around promptly, he swung open the large white door and entered the hallway. The echoes of his footsteps reverberated as he climbed the several flights of stairs, but drifted away as he reached the upper levels of the castle.

"It makes sense, what he asked us to watch out for. You know? Who he follows and all." Lenexa said, breaking the silence that had fallen. Xaice nodded.

"Len's right. He's our one hope in the end, after all."

* * *

"You really think so?" Sora asked eagerly, beaming. Kairi nodded.

"I noticed, lately." Yuffie glanced over at the two and watched them for a moment as she put some more plates on the table.

"You know, you're right, Kairi! He _has_ gotten taller!" she said with a smile. Riku laughed, sending water flying out of his mouth and across the table, landing with a barely audible splash in the empty seat across from him.

"_That's_ what this was all about? You've been talking about it for two hours!"

Leon sighed. "I was under the impression you were talking about your fighting progress, not your height."

"It is true, though, he's gotten better at that, too. Riku also!" Yuffie added cheerfully. "I've watched you two dodge spells and counterattack in ways Squall—"

"_Leon,_ Yuffie."

"Aw, whatever, _Leon_…will _never_ be able to! He's trained you well, apparently."

The Gunblade wielder nodded. "A lot happens in a month. They learned just as well as I taught."

"If not better!" Sora shouted, sitting at the table and munching dinner happily. Riku smirked and flicked a crumb at him.

"Don't let yourself get too far up in the clouds."

There was a small whooshing sound from outside. It was faint—as if it was meant to be near silent, but something had gone wrong. The five friends silenced. Sora got out of his chair and walked across the room, peering out the window into the street below. Nothing near the fountain…nothing at the other end of the square. But still, deep down, his instincts were telling him it wasn't as it seemed. And the small burn mark on one of the walls confirmed his suspicion. Something _was_ out there.

"I'm…going outside. Just for a minute."

Riku stared at him. "What for? It was just the wind, don't worry about it."

"I know, I'm just going to check, okay? I'll be right back." Riku shrugged and went back to his full plate of food. Yuffie and Leon picked up their conversation again, and Kairi quietly sat and listened, stealing worried glances at Sora as he went out the front door into the tranquil, lamp-lit streets of the Second District.

* * *

"_Xarik_!!" Xaice hissed impatiently, grabbing the girl by her hood and yanking her back into the shadows of the alley. "You can't just run at him full-force!! _Wait_."

"I _have to kill him_…" she snarled, gritting her teeth. Lenexa rolled his eyes and looked up at Sora, who was standing across the square on the upper street, surveying the area with his Keyblade in hand. If not for the streetlight above him, the three Organization members wouldn't have been able to notice Sora in his black clothing. Just the same, there was no streetlight near them, and as they crouched silently next to the wall in a back alley, they were thankful he couldn't see them as well. Their entire strategy relied on them being able to sneak up and strike first.

Usually easy-going and comical, Lenexa turned to Xaice with a gaze of utmost seriousness. "We're not gonna mess this up, got it?" Xaice nodded his agreement and elbowed Xarik. "Hey, Xar." She nodded to show she was listening, clutching a kunai knife tightly in one hand. "We're counting on you to strike first and get him down here, okay? Don't freak out and try to kill him all in one shot. Just hit him _once_, lure him down here, and then we'll _all_ go."

"And remember what Fayxt said," she added, stepping forward to the edge of the wall. "Stay here for now. This won't be long."

* * *

Sora stood still, turning his head left and right as he watched for any movement. There was none—the square was completely soundless. Clasping his Keyblade tighter, he walked further away from the door. One foot away…two feet away. He was trying, purposely, to allow space, but not a lot of space, for an attacker to sneak in. Leon had taught him…if you allow space, they'll come; not realizing it's a trap. So he continued forward, little by little.

* * *

Xarik sneered. She had seen it all before. Watching Sora walk away from the safety of the door, she knew perfectly well that he was trying to trick her into sneaking over from behind. But the girl knew better—she had lived her life fighting, fighting for something only she could decide. Her life had taught her many things. This was one of them. Slipping out of the shadows behind the fountain, she ran forward until she was just beneath Sora. So close she could hear his breathing. So close, that with one blast of lightning—which she _could_ use, regardless of what Lenexa and Xaice said—she could decimate Sora completely. Suddenly, her face lit up. She had an idea.

* * *

_Guess Riku was right. Just the wind, _Sora decided, shrugging. _That burn mark, though, seems familiar. Only one type of shot could make that. But…_ he dropped his guard. _Oh well. It's nothing._

Just as he had convinced himself it was harmless, there was a flash of light from his left. Turning, he saw that a streetlight had apparently short-circuited, or something.

That one turn, plus the added advantage of his dropped guard, gave Xarik her chance. She leapt up. Sora reacted just a second too late, and she struck him full-on, slashing one side of his neck from just above the collarbone all the way to the end of his shoulder. Sora cried out, swinging his Keyblade in shock. Xarik deftly avoided it and turned a back flip onto the ground below. He followed, one hand holding the spot where she had cut him.

"We meet again, Keyblade master."

Sora stood motionless, taken aback. "Xarik…?"

She nodded and laughed grimly, pulling out three more kunai knives. "Oh, not just me." Xaice and Lenexa stepped out from behind her, causing Sora to only become more bewildered.

"Hello, Sir Sora! It's so nice to see you again!" Xaice greeted him sarcastically, holding a gigantic sword. Smiling sadistically, he separated the two swords, one in each hand, blades shining even in the dim light. "Too bad this'll be our last little get-together, hmm?"

"The name's Lenexa." the other boy muttered, stepping forward and twirling his shooter around in his hand. "I wish I'd have met you earlier. This'll be my only chance to watch you suffer."

Sora was completely distressed. "Why won't you just leave me alone?"

Xaice's eyes widened, and he stared at Sora as if he were completely insane. "Why?

WHY?!" His anger mounted. "You dare to ask us why?!" A blast of flame shot towards the Keyblade master, narrowly missing him. "We have reputations to uphold. An Organization to fight for!"

"Organization…" Sora gasped in realization. "You're…but how? They're all dead!"

Lenexa shouted in outrage, and both he and Xaice turned to look at Xarik. She was brick red in the face, clutching her knives so hard they were cutting into her own hands. Blood dripped onto the pavement as she stiffly stepped forward.

"How…dare…you." she whispered, her silver eyes brimming with disgust and loathing. "You killed them _all_. All of them. Respected leaders, respected fighters, battling for a cause more worthwhile than your own pathetic life, you horrible waste!" She threw a knife at him. "And you have the guts to tell _us_ about what you think you've done. We _know_ you've done it, loser. That's why we're here. To _kill_ you!!" At that, Xaice dashed forward and swung. Sora blocked the hit with his Keyblade, trying to push him away. But he only drove down harder, laughing maniacally. Lenexa fired a shot, catching their opponent in the side. Sora screamed and fell back into the wall, giving Xaice his opening to strike. He did so with full, unbridled force, gashing the side of Sora's face. Sora yelled, nearly blacking out, and rolled back, desperate to protect himself. Flames licked at his back as blood slid slowly down his face. Ignoring the searing pain, he concentrated with all of his ability and whipped back around, his Keyblade held at arm's length ahead of him.

"FREEZE!!" he cried, blasting Xaice with a Blizzard spell. Seeing him temporarily weakened, Sora started attacking with everything he had. Lenexa came in to help, but was knocked away by an explosion cause by a rebounded fire blast from Xaice. Xarik gritted her teeth and jumped behind Sora, pointing one kunai knife at the back of his neck.

"Move," she snapped, poking him sharply to get the point across, "and I'll kill you."

"Not if I can help it," a voice said firmly. "Sora, get over here." Sora slashed down, knocking Xaice unconscious, and spun, kicking Xarik in the stomach and sending her flying into the wall. Then he staggered over to his ally.

"Riku, you stupid…"

"Hey, I wasn't gonna get into it until I had to," he said, grinning. "And apparently, that was the time. You're lucky I hear well." Noticing Sora's several gashes and his matted hair, he shook his head. "Nice going, all-star, you got yourself all cut up. Kairi's not gonna like that."

Xarik, watching from nearby, was furious. "Stop talking like this is no big deal! I'll kill you both!!"

Riku glanced at her with slight annoyance. "You the one that sliced Sora here?"

"Yes, and I take pride in it. Want one to match?" she threatened, advancing. Riku shrugged.

"No, I think girls like you need to be trendy. Not guys like me." he jumped forward and swung, striking her exactly as she had struck Sora. "See? There you go!"

"Idiot!" Lenexa roared, firing at him. "Quit belittling us!"

"Yeah…" Xaice rasped, weakly rising off of the ground. "We haven't even been trying, up until now."

"Then dazzle us." Sora said, coming to Riku's side. Xarik grinned.

"A pleasure." She shot a lightning bolt at them both. Even as they tried to avoid it, it seemed to track them as they ran. Struggling back up again, they turned to their attackers. Five consecutive lightning spells hit them, all while Xarik simply snapped her fingers for each spell. Xaice and Lenexa stood by, letting Xarik get what they considered to be her revenge. Sora gasped, breathing heavily, his entire body sinking slowly to the ground.

"Riku…I can't…" his knees began to buckle gradually.

"No, no, you can." Riku insisted, grabbing one of Sora's arms and yanking him back up again. "Hang in there, don't back out yet."

"I just…I just can't…"

From somewhere in his subconscious, Roxas was having a complete fit.

_Sora! Back out! Leave, now! You can't die, you can't die…don't, Sora…_

"I can't…" Sora moaned. Riku was saying something, but he couldn't hear his words. His vision swam and blurred as lightning spells persistently flew at them.

_This can't be happening; it can't be…_Roxas mourned. _Please, with all of my heart, I wish for him to survive. Please…even if I don't have a heart, I wish I could do something. I have to help him, somehow…_

Suddenly, Lenexa gasped. "Xar!! Xar, _stop_!!" he screamed, pointing. The lavender-haired girl turned around and shrugged.

"Why?"

"Just look." Xaice instructed, pointing as well. Hesitantly, she turned around.

About ten feet away from them, looking as surprised as they did, stood Roxas. He had a Keyblade in his hand and a look of complete amazement on his face.

"How did I…?" he marveled, holding his empty hand out in front of him. "I'm not see-through?"

Riku blinked. "What are they looking at, Sora? Sora?" Sora had managed to come to a full standing position, and was staring at Roxas with extreme shock and wonder.

"He's standing right there? But how did he do that?"

"Who's standing right there? I can't see anybody."

Sora ignored Riku's questioning, still looking at the boy standing in front of him. He couldn't see his face, but he knew for a fact that it was Roxas. He could tell.

Xaice backed up. "U-um…c'mon guys, let's go." Lenexa followed him into the alley, but Xarik remained in the square, looking madder than ever.

"No, I can't leave!! I was so, _so_ close…" she seethed, quivering with rage.

"Xarik, seriously, let's _go_." Xaice said, grabbing her wrist and dragging her away. The girl kicked and screamed like a spoiled brat, tears forming in her eyes. Sora ran after them, passing Roxas hurriedly and skidding to a stop in front of the alley.

"Hey, you can't just run off!! Who told you to kill me, huh? Get back here!"

Xarik glared at him intensely and sobbed harder. In desperation, she hurled a single kunai knife in no direction at all. Miraculously, it grazed Sora's arm and clattered to the ground several yards away. Smirking bitterly, she pointed to the abandoned knife.

"Remember that. I'll be back for you, we all will! And next time, that _worthless _turncoat Nobody over there won't have a chance of protecting dirt like you!"

"Hey!" Roxas shouted, defending himself. "I'm not worthless! Don't you dare speak to me like I'm lower than you!"

They didn't hear him, or even try to. Lenexa snapped his fingers, opening a swirling portal. He jumped through, and Xaice struggled to push Xarik in ahead of him. Finally, he managed to trip her, sending the obstinate girl into the portal and back to their castle. Just before he left, he turned to Sora.

"You have no idea, do you? And you got the news before we did. Moron." With that, he waved sarcastically and hopped into the portal, closing it behind him and leaving the square as quiet as it had ever been.

* * *

"Roxas."

"Sora."

"How did you…"

"No idea."

Riku stared at his friend, who appeared to be talking to thin air. "Sora…?"

"Well, um, guess you have to…"

"Wait! Please." Roxas pleaded, stepping back hesitantly. "I need to tell you something."

"What?"

"I need to tell you that you need to shut your mind up."

_What?!_ Sora thought, thrown off. "Shut my mind up…?"

"Wait, that came out wrong…" the blonde-haired boy corrected himself, chuckling. "I meant you need to stop thinking so much. It's going to overwhelm you, and I can tell you're already getting close."

"Okay then." Sora said absentmindedly, looking around at the almost destroyed square. "Do you have any idea who those people are? They said they were Organization members."

"No." Roxas answered disappointedly. "I wish I did know, they seem familiar. But I'm not sure how, or why. They just do, like…déjà vu."

"That's weird." Sighing, Sora stepped forward halfheartedly. "I've gotta go inside. I'm kinda, um…" he laughed ironically. "…bleeding a lot."

Roxas nodded slowly. "Yeah, I understand." Turning in place, he surveyed the area around him, taking a deep breath of fresh air. "It's just been a while since I breathed air on my own, you know? Since I've had a chance to be just…me."

Sora watched him forlornly. He felt bad that Roxas was stuck with being a Nobody, not being able to live a life on his own, but only as part of Sora. It was true—Roxas never had chances to experience anything on his own, except for in his own thoughts.

"Hey, is that Riku?" Roxas asked, pointing to the other boy. Sora turned and nodded, laughing quietly at Riku's confused gaze. "He can't see you, that's why he's all freaked."

"Figures. He probably thinks you're insane." Roxas joked, punching Sora's arm humorously. "Well…" he hesitated, his grin fading slightly. "Guess I better go, huh?"

"Guess so. Uh…" Sora took Roxas's hand. "Right?"

"Right." Roxas sighed and closed his eyes. A few seconds passed, and then he slowly started to grow fainter. Within a few more moments, he was completely gone. A faint glowing aura surrounded Sora, and then it was over. Riku blinked.

"So it was your other you? I thought you were talking to air."

"No, it _was_ Rox…" Suddenly, a rush of pain shrouded Sora. Dizziness set in, and the world turned fuzzy, then completely dark.


	6. Chapter 6: Say Goodbye

"What the heck…Riku?! What…?!" Leon stuttered as Riku kicked the door down, calmly entering the small room carrying a ragged, unconscious Sora.

"Hey, um, grab his feet why don't you? He's heavy, darn it." Yuffie rushed over and picked up Sora's feet while Riku and Leon supported his shoulders. The three slowly worked their way over to the bed and placed him on top of it gently.

"What _happened_?!" the Gunblade wielder demanded. The silver-haired boy ignored him and turned on a light, illuminating the previously dim-lit room.

"I'll get some…Band-aids?" Yuffie asked. Riku stared at her with disbelief.

"Look at him, Yuffie; he's got a two-inch _incision _on his neck!! Band-aids aren't gonna even _begin_ to fix that."

"Ohhh, right. Antiseptic?"

"That's a start, yes…" Riku sighed as she and Leon left the room, and then turned back to his passed-out friend. "Sora. SORA!!" he screamed, slapping him lightly on the side of the face. Sora's eyes opened slowly, and he looked up at Riku wearily.

"What…?"

"Good, you're awake." Yuffie came over with the bottle of antiseptic, and Leon handed her bandages.

"All right, let's get this done and over with before Kairi finds out," she said, opening the bottle.

"Where'd Kairi go?"

"To bed. But we might end up waking her up, once Yuffie starts…"

"AUGH!!!" Sora yelled, resignedly slapping Yuffie's hand away. "THAT STUFF STINGS!!"

"Well, it'll have to, or else you'll just die of infection," the ninja girl ordered. "Don't make me tie your hands together."

"But…but…OW!!! STOP THAT!!"

"Sora, _shut it_…"

"Why'd you have to wake me up _before_ she started with this stupid anti-whatever?!"

"That's a good question, but not for now." Riku handed him a rock. "Bite this instead of yelling your head off."

Sora did, and the rock shattered.

"Either you have _really_ hard teeth, or that hurts."

"IT HURTS, DARN IT!!!" he grabbed the bottle out of Yuffie's hand and hurled it across the room. "CUT IT OUT ALREADY!!"

"That's it," she snapped, "I'm tying your hands together." Taking a handful of bandages, she flipped him over and tied his hands behind his back. "There." Leon jadedly handed her the antiseptic and she continued what she had been trying to do.

"OW!!! Ow, ow, ow…"

"Sora?!" Kairi shrieked abruptly, running into the room. "What happened?"

"Looks like she woke up." Leon grumbled irritably. "The bad only gets worse…"

"We were attacked." Riku explained nonchalantly, shrugging carelessly. "Long story, tell you later," he added, nodding towards Leon. Kairi rushed over to the bed and hurled herself into Sora's arms, which had since been untied, causing him to nearly sob in pain and distress.

"I knew that you shouldn't have gone out there, I knew it…"

"Um, Kairi, you're probably hurting him _more_…" Riku whispered, but Leon stopped him mid-sentence.

"Just let it go."

"But if I hadn't gone out there…" Sora murmured, clenching his teeth, "they would have hurt you, too."

Kairi's eyes filled with tears, each one falling silently onto Sora's chest. "Oh, Sora…" she sobbed, hugging him gently. Yuffie kindly moved her aside as she bandaged Sora's arm, leg, and neck. Staring at the side of his face, where Xaice had struck him, she paused.

"Do you mind seeing out of only one eye for a couple weeks?"

Sora blinked. "Uh…"

"I'll take that as a yes." She lifted his head and wrapped the bandage around, covering his left eye and the mark left by Xaice's sword, and then smiled. "And now we're done!" Yuffie left, and Kairi resumed hugging the completely exhausted boy. A few minutes later, he finally spoke up.

"Kairi…"

"W-what?" she sobbed, her face buried in his charred sweatshirt.

"I'm really tired."

Lifting her tear-streaked face and staring at Sora, she grinned. "All right, go to sleep." He rolled over onto his side, his back to her. Still smiling peacefully, sniffling every now and then, she lightly stroked his hair. "I'll watch over you."

* * *

Leon sighed deeply and sunk into a chair, exhausted. "Well, that was quite the episode, Riku. Thanks for setting off the chaos."

Riku grinned and stretched out on the couch nearby. "Anytime. I'm telling you, it's not my job to solve everything and let the rest of the world…namely, you…mosey along without even knowing."

Yuffie leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "Is that so?"

"Well, what do you expect me to say?" the younger boy asked, raising an eyebrow. "Stand outside in the dark and wait until Sora miraculously stops bleeding to death?"

"No, but…" Leon groaned, shaking his head slowly. "It would have been better if you had tried to keep it a little quieter than that. Kairi took it pretty hard."

"She'll be fine." Riku protested. "She spent an entire year waiting for him, didn't she?"

"That's the point, Riku." Yuffie answered, nodding to herself. "She spent such a long time waiting for him to come back, that if anything were to happen to him…"

"She'd be completely crushed." Leon leaned forward in his seat. "But we shouldn't be lecturing you on how to handle situations like that. I want to know what happened out there."

At this point, Riku paused for a very long time. He stared out the window, looked at his feet, the ceiling, the walls, everything. Yuffie tapped her foot impatiently.

"Well…?"

"I don't _know_ what happened!!" Riku snapped, his face turning red with frustration. "I have no clue, okay? Sora was attacked and I showed up just when they were about to kill him!!" He stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. "They said they were with Organization XIII. But they're all dead, so it's impossible, right?"

Yuffie shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, no. We have no clue what they're capable of, so anything's possible, I guess."

"The Organization is incredibly powerful, and it was something close to a miracle that they were defeated in the first place. There may have been lesser Nobodies that, once the original Organization was defeated, came to power."

"That doesn't seem realistic." Riku argued, cracking his knuckles distractedly.

"He's right, Leon. How could random Nobodies become more powerful just like that? They'd have to have something that could transform them…and besides, Nobodies like Organization XIII were born when someone with a strong heart lost theirs."

"All that means, Yuffie, is that people need to lose their hearts for that to be possible. And who knows how many lost theirs before Sora was able to stop Xemnas."

Riku and Yuffie exchanged glances as Leon let his announcement sink in.

"So then they really are the Organization." Riku muttered with sheer disbelief.

"They are," Leon said quietly, "and obviously, they have a new leader who's after Sora…again. If that's true, then we could have another universal incident on our hands."

"So how do we stop them?" Yuffie asked nervously. Riku blinked.

"The letter…" he muttered, pulling a scrap of paper from his pocket. "From the King."

"I haven't read it, but I know that letter can only mean that he's investigated it himself. It's serious, then."

"It only says this…" he handed it to Leon, who stared at the paper blankly.

_Master of Keyblade_

_Memory of Xehanort _

_Chasers… _

_The Lost Two_

_Keyblade War _

_Everything is born…because of the Slumber._

"The Slumber?" Leon puzzled, passing the note on to Yuffie. "What can that mean?"

"And the Lost Two…Chasers? Memory of Xehanort?" The ninja girl shook her head. "It's not making any sense."

Riku shrugged. "Maybe not now. But soon, sooner than we'd like, I'm sure, it will start coming together. It always does."

* * *

Sora yawned and stared at the ceiling. It was morning, he knew, because he noticed a faint light softly illuminating the room. Everything he saw was awkwardly vague, judging by the fact that he was only able to see from his right eye. There'd be no activity for him until that healed, he realized. Basically sitting around and doing nothing.

Kairi sighed in her sleep, her hand resting on top of Sora's head. The boy smiled and gently scooted away, carefully moving her hand onto the bed. Sitting upright, he stepped as softly as he could on the floor and stood. At first he was fine, but slowly he started to become dizzy. Sora reached out and leaned against the wall, regaining his composure, and then turned back to face Kairi. He leaned over and picked her up delicately and put her in the bed. She didn't wake up, thankfully, but only sighed again and rolled over. Smiling, Sora pulled the blankets over her and left the room.

"Riku," he whispered, poking his friend's head. "Riku, get up."

"Hmm?" Riku groaned, blinking heavily and staring up at Sora drowsily. "You're up already? I'd have slept for days after what you got last night. You practically died."

"I did, didn't I?" Sora looked out the window, where a few people had noticed the battle-scarred terrain and were wondering what had happened. "It was pretty bad."

"No duh." Riku jumped out of bed and walked to the door. "C'mon, we're going to find Leon and Yuffie."

Sora blinked, confused. "They aren't here?"

"Nope," Riku replied, grabbing his shoes and heading for the front door. "They're in the First District. At some shop…"

"The Accessory Shop? With Cid?"

"They did say something like that. Leon wanted you and me to meet them there once you woke up." The older boy opened the door and paused. "You think you can make it okay?"

"I guess so," Sora mumbled, staggering out the door.

Riku rolled his eyes. "I'm so looking forward to scraping you off the pavement when you keel over, smart one."

* * *

Sora opened the door to the Accessory Shop and was immediately punched on the shoulder, followed by a very loud greeting of "HOW'S IT GOING, LITTLE MAN?!"

"OW!!!" he shrieked, holding his arm as he winced in pain. Yuffie giggled.

"Cid, Sora's hurt today. You can't just go around punching him."

"Eh, well, you shoulda told me that first." Cid grinned. "So how's it been?"

"Fine, I guess, minus the near-death experience." Sora said as cheerfully as he could. He pointed to Riku. "That's Riku, by the way." Cid nodded and punched Riku on the arm as well. Riku grimaced and waved halfheartedly.

"Hi there."

"Well, after last night…" Leon said, finally speaking up, "…we've decided it's time to get to the bottom of this whole mess. We can't sit around and let it pass."

"What mess?" Sora said desperately. "There isn't a mess."

"Sora." Yuffie said firmly, staring at him with utmost seriousness. "You were attacked by a group of people claiming to be the new Organization XIII."

"Based on what Riku could tell us, and by what this letter says, we believe that they really are the new Organization and that they're trying to finish what their preceding members started."

"No, that can't be right. It's nothing."

"SORA, STOP." Riku snapped suddenly, grabbing his arm and spinning him around to face him. "You have to stop living like this, locked away in your own little world where nothing can ever change. These people tried to kill you, obviously for a reason. We have to do something or else the entire universe will fall apart _again_."

Sora paused and stared at his feet. Remembering the night before.

"_We have reputations to uphold. An Organization to fight for!"_

"_I'll be back for you, we all will!"_

"_You have no idea, do you? And you got the news before we did. Moron."_

_It's true,_ he thought, tears forming in his eyes. _I've been shutting myself off from everything, living in denial of what I really have to do. The whole incident with Nothing, it led to my home being destroyed again. What I found out then, about the legacy of the Keyblade Master, it should have clued me in, but I ignored it, fearing what it could mean. And then I was attacked, almost killed, by Organization members. How can I stand here and say it's nothing, when I know better…when I know that it's more important than I want to believe? Riku's telling the truth. I need to accept it. For myself, for him, for Kairi…for everyone._ "You're right," he whispered, nodding slowly. "It's just like before. They're…they're evidently planning something. So it's only reasonable …it's only reasonable for me to leave. As hard as it will be."

Leon nodded. "So you've accepted it. Good, now we can move on." The door opened, and a girl with long brown hair and a pink dress walked in.

"Hello, everyone," she said quietly. A blonde-haired boy glanced at them all from behind her.

"Aerith? Cloud?" Sora asked, slightly shocked at seeing them again.

"Yeah." Cloud mumbled, walking in and sitting on the couch next to a beaming Yuffie. Aerith smiled warmly and nodded.

"Yes, Sora, we've come to help you, once more."

"Help us? How?"

Yuffie jumped up. "Aerith figured out the letter!"

Riku looked at the girl with amazement. "Really?" Aerith nodded. "What's it mean, then?"

"It's actually not that complicated," she began. "We'll begin with the first line--_ Master of Keyblade._"

"Simple enough." Sora said confidently. "That means me, right?"

"That is correct," Aerith replied, nodding. "But it also refers to the Keyblade Masters before you, all those beginning the line of reincarnation that led to you."

"But what about the next line?" Yuffie asked. "_Memory of Xehanort._"

"It refers to the memory of Xehanort left behind when he became a Heartless. Xemnas is the memory, the former leader of the Organization. Most likely, it means that his legacy has been passed down to another."

"So there's a new leader of the Organization, strong enough that they inherited the power of Xemnas himself." Leon mumbled, shaking his head with skepticism.

"_Chasers_," Aerith continued, "refers to those chasing the power of the Keyblade. Those wishing to either harness it, or defeat it."

"The Organization?" Riku asked. The girl nodded.

"Of course, that's what we can assume now. We have no clue what other groups could be involved."

"_The Lost Two_." Cloud grumbled. Everyone spun around to look at the swordsman, who until now had been completely silent. "It's talking about the two Nobodies that were 'lost' by the Organization."

"Roxas and Namine!" Sora said, shocked. "What do they have to do with this?"

"All we can guess is that they will play a part in the success—or the failure—of the new Organization." Leon answered.

"_Keyblade War_ is the name for what is to come." Aerith said solemnly. "There is going to be a war, a war for the right to bear the Keyblade's power. We have no understanding of what it could entail."

"And the last line…?" Sora asked hesitantly. Aerith shook her head.

"I'm sorry. We don't know. Nothing has ever been referred to as the Slumber. It's something that will be understood at a later time."

"What we're worried about right now, Sora…" Cloud said dismally, "is where you're going to begin your journey, and how."

Cid stepped forward and pulled out a map. "And I think I've got an idea of where to start." He pointed at a spot on the edge of the map. "There."

Sora leaned over and stared at the spot under his finger. "It's the middle of nowhere."

"Yeah, weird huh? It's called Memory Isle…and it's not even an isle, really."

"But judging by our research, a vast amount of dark energy has been gathering there, lately." Yuffie added, walking over. "So we think it's a good place to start."

Sora nodded slowly, staring straight ahead of him as if in a trance. "Right."

"So when do we leave?" Riku asked hesitantly, knowing Sora was slowly becoming more and more depressed over the fact.

"The best time would be this afternoon." Aerith said finally. Sora only kept nodding, and she put a hand on his shoulder. "We know you don't want to leave, but it really is for the greater good that you do."

"So go get yourselves ready and say your goodbyes, all right?" Leon snapped, opening the door. "Go."

The Keyblade Master turned slowly and trudged out the door, Riku behind him. Leon slammed it shut and sighed. The room fell silent for a moment as everyone thought about what had just occurred.

"I wonder if he'll make it, you know?" Leon said suddenly, breaking the silence. Yuffie nodded her agreement, looking at Cid and Aerith as they morosely stared at the map on the table.

"I think we're all wondering that, Squall." Cloud mumbled, ignoring Leon's glare.

* * *

Sora sat down on the bed and sighed. "I can't believe this, Riku. Why does my life have to fall apart right when it starts coming back together again?"

"It's not falling apart, Sora, just…." his friend paused mid-sentence. "….it can't always turn out right and be perfect, you know? Things happen."

"Yeah, well, I don't see anyone else being thrown into hero mode for the third time in two years!" he answered, kicking the wall angrily. Riku slapped him across the face in frustration.

"Cut it out, darn it! You need to stop playing this whole 'woe is me' crud! It's annoying and it's wrong and you know that you're better than this, Sora! It's what has to be done! Think of…."

"Think of what?!" Sora retaliated. "Think of the people I'm going to leave behind, the home I've already left and might never see again, and how I could die, you could die, how any one of us could die because of this?!"

"You just don't get it, do you? That'll happen if you don't go through with this. These Organization people will take over, they _will_ kill you, trust me, and everything you worked so hard to fix before will be destroyed beyond repair. Get that through your thick skull and move on. You can't run away from your problems, Sora. I learned that the hard way, and I suffered for it."

Sora stared at his friend as he left the room, pondering what he had been told. Walking into the other room, he pulled up a chair and sat down next to the bed, where Kairi was still sleeping peacefully—blissfully unaware of what was happening at the current moment. "Kairi…" he mumbled, trying hard to hold back the tears. "I'll miss you more than anything else in the world." Leaning over slowly, he kissed her on the side of the face, and then stepped back. "I wish I could say goodbye, but it'd be too hard." As sad as he had ever been, Sora walked out the front door, leaving behind only a small scrap of paper with three simple words scrawled on it.

* * *

"You're sure you're ready?" Leon asked, standing with Sora outside the gummi ship hangar. "You can't turn around and come right back or anything."

The boy paused, sighing profoundly. "Yeah, I know. I've done this before, remember?"

"Don't be too sure of yourself, there, Sora." Yuffie said cheerfully, giving him a quick goodbye hug. "Never expect that it's going to be just like every other time."

"All right, I'll be careful, okay? Plus, it's not like I'm going to be doing any fighting any time soon…" he pointed to his bandaged face. "I can't exactly see."

"One more week." Yuffie instructed. "Then take it off, understand?"

"Yep…" he answered absentmindedly. Riku had long since climbed into the ship, and was probably waiting for him to finish saying goodbye. "Um, tell Aerith, Cid, and Cloud I said bye, okay?"

"We'll tell Aerith and Cid…" Yuffie said, grinning, "…but Cloud's going with you!"

"He is?" Sora said, shocked. He turned around to see Cloud leaning against the wall, looking bored as usual.

"Seeing as you're otherwise incapacitated," Leon explained, "Cloud's your bodyguard."

"Not you, Mr. Strongerthananyone?" Sora asked the Gunblade wielder, laughing halfheartedly at his own joke. Leon elbowed him.

"Watch it, squirt, and get in the ship already. You should have left by now." Sora hesitantly stepped forward and climbed the ladder to the cockpit, waving to Leon and Yuffie as he disappeared into the ship. Cloud glanced over at Leon.

"Any last instructions?"

Leon shrugged. "Don't let him die."

The swordsman nodded. "Easy enough." With that, he joined Riku and Sora in the gummi ship, and within minutes, they had taken off, headed for the first destination in their journey.


	7. Chapter 7: Hyakutaro

Kairi opened her eyes slowly, still tired. Rolling over, she was surprised to see that the room was entirely empty. _How late could it be, _she thought. _Shouldn't Sora and Riku be here, at least?_

She stood up and walked into the other room, expecting that maybe the others had moved out of the room she had been in to let her sleep. But no one was there, either. Sora's room was empty, Riku's room was empty, and the square outside was inhabited only by local residents—no Sora, no Riku. _Where could they have gone…?_ Relief swept through Kairi's mind when she noticed Yuffie and Leon walking up towards the house. She met them at the door, smiling.

"Good morning."

"Um…hi." Leon said quietly, glancing at Yuffie nervously. Kairi noticed their uncertain attitude—and the relief left almost instantly.

"Where are Sora and Riku…?"

"They…" Yuffie began. She stepped into the house and walked to the other side of the room, Leon following behind. Kairi turned around, dread in her gaze. "They left, Kairi. They're gone."

Silence settled into the room. Kairi stared at the floor disbelievingly, shocked beyond words. "No…" she muttered, tears forming in her eyes and sliding slowly down her face. "They can't have, it's not….it's not…."

"They have to find out about the people who attacked them. We believe they could have the same intentions of the original Organization, and we can't allow them to continue whatever it is they're trying to do. So Sora and Riku left." Yuffie explained gently, putting her arm around Kairi consolingly. "It's for the best, Kairi."

"So in other words…" Kairi whispered, sobbing. "…in other words, Sora left to go save the world again?"

"If you want to put it like that, yes." Leon said bitterly.

Kairi sobbed harder and threw herself onto the bed, hysterically crying. Yuffie gave Leon a "nice going" glare and sat in a chair next to the table.

"It's not fair…" Kairi cried, shaking with each sob. "He's gone, and I couldn't even say goodbye…what if I never see him again—I can never tell him…tell him that…"

"He said goodbye, Kairi, we promise." Yuffie handed her a piece of paper that had been lying on the tabletop. "He left this."

The young girl took the piece of paper and held it in her quivering hands. Opening it slowly, the tears fell faster as she saw what it said. Crying uncontrollably now, she nodded to herself and dropped to the floor in anguish.

"I love you too, Sora." she whispered, clutching the scrap of paper tightly. "I love you too. Just please—come back to me."

* * *

Sora stared at the boy with utter confusion. "And you are…?"

"My name's Hyakutaro! It's a great pleasure to meet you all!"

"Oh. Well, hi, we're Sora, Riku, and Cloud." the Keyblade master replied, gesturing towards his two friends.

"Hello." Riku mumbled unhappily. Cloud only nodded. Beaming, Hyakutaro stepped forward and shook all three of their hands.

"Welcome to Memory Isle! What brings you here?" he asked happily, beaming. Sora stared at him for a moment, taking in the boy's appearance. He was about Sora's height, most likely Sora's age, with short auburn hair that had more brown than red. His intense brown eyes matched his hair perfectly.

"Uh, we're here on business." he mumbled. The boy's smile faded very slowly.

"Business? What kind of business?" There was a long pause. "Oh crud, not this Heartless business again, right? Or Nobodies either? Organization XIII?"

Sora jumped in surprise. "You know about them?"

"More importantly," Cloud added, "_what_ do you know about them?"

Hyakutaro looked at the three cautiously. "Well, I can trust telling you. Things would get completely out of hand if word got out. Keep it quiet, all right? We'll go back to my place and talk about it." He turned and walked down the dirt path, along which were many houses on each side, all looking pretty much the same. There weren't many people near here, but the sounds of the ocean nearby mixed with countless voices—no doubt everyone had left the dusty streets to go to the beach. It was an island, in a way, after all.

"So what's it like, living here?" Sora asked suddenly, trying to start a conversation amid the silence.

"A prison." Riku and Hyakutaro said at once. They both turned to look at each other.

"We grew up on an island." Riku muttered, pointing to Sora. "I know…what it's like, I guess you could say."

"No kidding." the other boy grumbled. "I can't stand it here, sometimes. I could be doing bigger and better things, but here I am, on this stupid hunk of land."

"That's what I used to think." Riku said quietly, looking away. "Just don't do anything you'll regret." Even quieter, so only Sora, who was next to him, could hear, he whispered, "Like I did."

"I guess that you aren't just everyday people." Sora blinked in surprise and looked at the boy, who only laughed. "Well I knew _you_ weren't everyday, I mean, c'mon, you're the Keyblade Master! I meant more them than you." He stared at Cloud. "What about you? Where are you from?"

Cloud looked at him for a very long time, silence stretching on and on. "Midgar."

"Really? I've never heard of it. You fight much?"

"Yes." the swordsman growled, gripping his sword tighter. "I do."

"So are you a bodyguard?"

"You know what…" Sora said nervously as Cloud fumed angrily, "...no one's here. We can have our conversation now and continue when we get to the house."

"Don't have to." Hyakutaro answered, walking over to a small building and crossing the porch to the front door. "We're here."

The house was smaller than the rest, but quaint. The spacious front porch had a few chairs and a table set up on it, but the four walked right past them and into the house, which, as far as Sora could tell, had only four rooms—a kitchen to their left, a living room to their right, and a bedroom/bathroom off of the living room. Hyakutaro led them into the kitchen, nodding towards a table with three chairs arranged around it. He himself sat on the counter, opening the fridge and grabbing himself a soda.

"You guys want anything?"

"No thanks." Cloud and Sora said, shaking their heads. Riku stared at them like they were nuts and nodded instead.

"Yeah, I'll have one of those sodas and some chips or something. We haven't eaten all morning and I'm _dying_."

"Sure thing," the boy answered, tossing a can of soda to him and opening a cabinet to look for snacks.

"So, um, anyway…Hyaku…?

"Oh, call me Taro. The whole thing's too long to remember, I've come to learn."

Sora nodded, glaring at Riku as he slurped the soda. "How did word about the Heartless and stuff reach here? I never came here before, so...how did you know?"

"Simple," was the answer. "We were attacked. About a year and a half ago, before Organization XIII was even on the map. For a while there was nothing we could do to fight back, and our only hope, really, was to leave as fast as possible. I think we would have been done for if you hadn't defeated Ansem—er, Xehanort, when you did. So thanks for that."

"No…no problem." Sora replied awkwardly. "But you know about Xehanort, too? And Organization XIII? Did they attack?"

Taro nodded sadly, pain entering his expression. "They sure did. Killed about half our population. With so few people living here, it doesn't seem like much, but with a community as close as ours…it was like losing half of your family."

"That's terrible."

"No doubt about that, but I gets worse. I looked them up in our archives, to find out where they were coming from…we have all the navigational data from everywhere—and we'd been deleted from the entire map! So our world, to outsiders, just didn't exist. Not to mention wherever they were coming from was unknown. We were completely helpless."

"But why would they delete a world from the archives? They attacked plenty of places, but never tried to make it so it didn't _exist_." Riku said with confusion, sticking his hand into the bag of potato chips. Cloud glared demonically.

"It's because…" Taro looked up at them. "Promise me, you have to keep this a secret. We could all die if this gets out, okay?" Completely surprised and taken aback, the three nodded. Taro inhaled deeply and looked at them all seriously. "I'm a failed member of SOLDIER."

"Huh?" Sora and Riku said together, not understanding. Taro blinked.

"You don't know SOLDIER? Eh, well, it wouldn't matter if you did." Slowly, he turned to Cloud, who looked like he had just seen a ghost—or, rather, _was_ seeing a ghost. "Have you ever heard of it…uh, Cloud, was it?"

Cloud sat in complete silence, hardly even breathing. "I might have." he lied, practically panting. Taro stared at him for a moment, and then continued.

"Anyway, that's why they came here. To destroy our world and take me with it. You see, they didn't really understand SOLDIER, either—they thought it meant I had some special hold over the darkness. Depending on what they were referring to, they could have been close, but no. All they knew was that Sephiroth, who I'm cloned from, is powerful—and they expected me to be even better. So, well…" he stopped. "The rest is kind of hard to talk about…bear with me, okay?"

Sora nodded apologetically. "Yeah, go ahead, we're listening."

"After I found out we'd been deleted from the archives, I tried to add us back in. Somehow they found out that new data had been entered, and caught me. All in all, they wanted the data deleted so no one would know where I came from and try to take what they thought was theirs."

"They hid it from Maleficent." Riku said, gritting his teeth at the name. "She was controlling the Heartless against them, trying to steal the hearts the Nobodies wanted, so when they found you…"

"I was a secret weapon, and everything about the secret weapon was to be kept quiet."

"Because they thought there were more SOLDIER members?"

"Something like that. I was taken away from here, to a place called Castle Oblivion. Their leader—Xemnas, obviously—wanted nothing to do with me at the time. By now, Xehanort had been defeated by you and they were focused on finishing what he started. Marluxia, head of the castle, was busy planning how to properly do away with you, so I was kind of a side project. For a while, I just sat in the room they had locked me in and wondered when…or if…I'd ever see daylight again. An eternity later, I finally realized that I'd probably just die here. And I would have, too, if the new Organization XIII hadn't started up."

"The new one?" Sora said, leaning forward in his seat. This was what they were really interested in—the people who had attacked them. "So it is true. That there's a new Organization XIII?"

"Yeah. It seems that when the original thirteen were killed, a new set stepped forward, more Nobodies taking the place of the strong-willed people who had become Heartless." Sora and Riku exchanged glances, thinking. _So the people we fought, they really were Organization XIII. _"Their new leader found me, knowing I was with SOLDIER, and instantly…" Taro paused, grimacing at the painful memory. "…he started conducting experiments on me, using darkness as a variable."

"How could he _do_ that?!" Sora shouted, sensing the injustice.

"I don't know, he just…did. He really didn't understand what SOLDIER was, and thought that shocking me with darkness on a daily basis, with different types of darkness and darkness that was more or less powerful…it was pure, untouched darkness. Nothing had ever come in contact with it—not people, not Heartless, so it was concentrated, five or ten times the power of normal darkness, and it wasn't fun. Eventually he realized that I was useless, and his experiments weren't helping. Took him long enough, I'll tell you that. His solution was for me to be target practice for the rest of Organization XIII, because I had become sturdier and could withstand certain types of darkness—the weakest ones. That plan got rejected, so they mainly waited for me to die."

"That's just…how _could_ they…?" Sora was outraged. Here was this boy, who simply loved life and didn't want anything in return—and he had been unfairly used as a lab rat in Organization XIII's experiment. It just wasn't right.

"Sora, don't worry about it. Just let me tell the story. I didn't die, okay? It was because of the condition I had developed that I escaped."

"Condition?" Riku asked through a mouthful of chips and soda. Cloud finally let his frustration get the best of him and took the bag of chips away, tossing them over his shoulder. "Hey…"

"It happened during the experiments, apparently. Enough darkness had infected me that eventually, small amounts had been grouping together and forming something similar to clots. When certain extreme emotions are triggered—anger, frustration, hatred, envy—the darkness builds up more and shuts me off from…myself, really…and I go into something like a Berserker state."

"Like Saix?" Sora questioned.

"Only worse. I have absolutely no control over what I do…so if I'm fighting, I could very well end up attacking someone on my side, and I won't be able to stop on my own. Plus, each time it happens to me, I get a little weaker as the darkness overflows. The spill-over from each attack basically, very, very slowly, starts consuming me. So really, I know I'm going to die soon. I just don't know how soon."

There was complete silence. Sora was thinking to himself, about what Yuffie had said before they left.

"_But judging by our research, a vast amount of dark energy has been gathering there, lately. So we think it's a good place to start."_

Taro probably had something to do with this. His darkness, inside of him, slowly ending his life, was what they had discovered. It was as good a find as any—if they stopped Organization XIII, they might be able to save him. He stood up and walked over to Taro.

"I promise you, we're going to get back at Organization XIII. That's why we're here."

"You mean…?" Taro asked, his eyes brimming with fear.

"Yeah. They're back, and worse than ever."

* * *

"No…way." Xaice whispered. "We're going to do _what_?!"

"We're going on a trip!" Lenexa cheered, dancing in a circle. Rarext glared with her intense, frightening eyes and tripped him mid-skip, sending him careening into the floor. Texal suppressed a laugh, shuffling his deck of cards as always.

"A _trip_?! This is _no_ time for a trip!" Xarik protested, stabbing her knives into the floor forcefully, scraping and cracking the glass-like surface. "We have to focus on our mission." Several of the members present rolled their eyes.

"But this is just a part of our mission, Xar!" Xaice replied, the thought still dawning on him slowly. "We have to travel away from here, so we can look for our enemy! Don't you see?"

"No, I don't." she answered bitterly, grinding another knife into the ground. "I say we stay here, find where he is, and _then_ go there, so we can all attack at once."

Zaix rose out of his chair and walked over, his black boots clicking quietly on the floor as he crossed the room. "That could work, but it's unlikely we'll find him very quickly, or at all, from here. We have to go out and track him down."

Suddenly, there was a crash from the hallway outside. Xaice, Zaix, and Texal exchanged glances, and Rarext swore angrily.

"It's him, innit?" Lenexa asked innocently, looking from one person to the next as he twirled his shooter around on one finger. Every one of them nodded slowly, if not disappointedly. The door swung open, and they were greeted by a whirlwind of shattered glass and paper as it drifted into the room.

"Wassup, everybody? Being good little puppets, just like you _think_ you should be?"

"Nexhayd!" Xarik snapped, hurling a knife at him. "Go _away_, you'll only ruin all our plans! You're a complete nuisance!"

The boy stopped the knife in mind air, telepathically, and let it clatter to the floor a few feet away from him. "Ugh, Xar, you know not to call me that, girl. I hate that."

"What, call you by your actual _name_?"

"Well DUH." the boy answered apathetically, playing with a lock of his purple-ish hair. "So seriously, what is it that you're all sitting here doing? It's in your best interest to tell me, so cough it up." Still, there was silence. Sighing, Xaice walked over and clapped a hand on his shoulder, grinning sarcastically.

"Nex, look. Walk away while you still can."

"Eh, why should I, huh?" he asked, looking at Xaice with a slightly confused and questioning expression.

"Because, smart one, Rare is about a half a second away from slitting your throat."

Nexhayd glanced over at the positively irate girl, who was visibly seething, glaring at him as angrily and hatefully as she had ever glared at anyone. He nodded.

"Hmph. Well, I guess you don't care about the news flash then, I'll just go…" he turned to leave, walking slowly as if he expected them to stop him.

"What news flash?!" all the others asked in unison, gathering in front of their fellow Nobody with hopeful and curious looks. Nexhayd grinned and shrugged.

"You say you're going to look for Sora, no? And just where do you suggest we start?" The room became so quiet you could have heard a pin drop. "Right. Bet you didn't consider that. Well it just so happens that I remember a small tidbit of information from a few years ago. Because I _pay attention_."

"What?" Xarik demanded impatiently, stomping her foot. Rarext slapped her, annoyed beyond self-control by the actions of the others.

"You don't remember the SOLDIER boy?" he said, astonished. "Seriously?" There was a long pause, and then Lenexa gasped.

"Oh yeah! That kid that the Superior found on Memory Isle, when we tried to take it down! I remember him, uh….what was him name…?"

"Hyakutaro." Nexhayd said quietly, smirking. "SOLDIER, First Class."

"So you're saying that he's where Sora is right now?" Xaice questioned, staring at his colleague with an apprehensive form of agreement.

"It's as good a guess as any, am I right? He probably rendezvoused with him right off the bat, so he could get back at us. Just like all our enemies do."

"And since he's SOLDIER, he already would have teamed up with him so they could try and combine efforts to take us down. And he's been inside here long enough to help Sora infiltrate the castle using inside information." Rarext interjected unexpectedly, causing everyone to turn and stare at her. "We have to take him out as soon as possible. He's a threat."

"Good call, dearest!!" Xaice cheered, leaning over to hug Rarext. In the blink of an eye, she grabbed his arm, flipped him over, and pinned him to the floor. Xaice merely chuckled and whispered, "It's her obstinate way of expressing affection, that's all. She loves me. Really."

"Then let's go already!" Xarik cried, pulling her knives out of the ground and stuffing them into her cloak pockets. "We can't waste any time with this."

"She's right, but we need a plan." Texal mumbled, jadedly arranging his cards onto the glass table solitaire-style. The impatient girl pulled her knives back out slowly and angrily went back to carving the floor apart.

"You and your _stupid_ plans, Texal…"


	8. Chapter 8: Enikkusu

_Namine, I don't like this. Too much is happening, and too fast. There's this business about that Taro kid, and all this stuff about the Heartless, the Nobodies, Organization XIII coming back to power. I can sense it, deep down, that they're more powerful this time. More dangerous. And…I know, now that Sora's away from Kairi—I can't talk to you like I used to. I liked that, having someone who would listen when you're so alone, like I am. I feel like there's another part of me, a part that's missing entirely, a part that I'm not convinced was there before but is gone now. It isn't possible, I know…because I'm part of Sora again, and I always have been. Not part of anything or anyone else—not even myself. There's never been a "myself", just Sora and part of Sora…me. I'm him, but not myself. We're one and the same and always will be. I can't stop him from doing what he has to, and even though I got out that once, I'm not sure I can ever do that again. I'm not even sure _how_ I did that. This is so different from before. Without you, it's like half of me, half of Sora, really, is lifeless, gone, empty of feeling and being. _

_Namine…you and I were lost before we found our "others". We would have fallen into darkness had we not become complete again._

_But I feel even more lost right now than I ever did then._

_I need you to be here with me, Namine. I love you enough to know that._

_Please, show me you love me too._

* * *

___Roxas. I miss you. You can't hear me, but I still hear your voice in my dreams. You're always there, even though you're not here with me._

_Kairi's falling apart inside. Day by day, she just keeps fading more and more. She misses Sora that much. But she'll make it through this, I'm sure._

_At least I hope I'm sure._

_I wish we were together right now. I always felt better, knowing that as long as Sora and Kairi were together, we were, too. I never would have to leave your side for longer than a little while. We'd never be too far apart. _

_But now Sora's left to complete his course of destiny, and you've gone with him, as part of him. And I'm left here, more alone than ever. I always was so alone, in that castle, before you found me. I never had anyone to take my hand, to tell me that everything was going to be all right in the end. Then you found me, and my world brightened. There was someone else there, a light, to lead me through the darkness._

_Kairi may be fading, but I'm trying as hard as I can to remain promising. I'd never doubt that you'd come back to me, and I'd never think for a second that anything would keep us apart forever._

_Forever's too long to wait, Roxas. It's too long for you to be gone. Any distance of time is too long for us to be separated._

_Never forget…_

_Forever is too long to be apart, but never too long to be together. _

_Forever is eternity. _

_Eternity is what I want to spend with you._

_I love you, Roxas. My one and only._

_Never forget that._

* * *

Sora blinked sleepily and yawned, rolling over on the small bed. Shafts of sunlight drifted in through the windows, casting a soft, sunrise colored light across the room. Though he had no idea what time it was, he assumed it was earlier than he was used to getting up. He rolled back over in the other direction, facing the door. 

The little house was almost completely silent, except for the faint, barely audible sound of the wind gently drafting through the open window at the other end of Sora's room. It was peaceful—_for the first time in a long time_, Sora thought sadly. He suddenly felt homesick. He wanted more than anything just to go back to his little island and stay there. He had felt the same way the last time he had left home…and now he was feeling it again. _Why do I keep doing this,_ he asked himself, _if I just know that it will always take me away from everything I care about?_

_You may have accomplished saving the universe, but that does not at all entitle you to end your journey as the Keyblade master. There is a legacy to fulfill._

Right. That was what "Nothing", or whatever it was called, had told him, the same day he had been taken away from his home, again. That's why he was here.

Bitterly, Sora summoned his Keyblade and looked at it for a minute. Just seeing it in his hand reminded him of all that he had been through, and all that everyone he knew had been through as a result. He recalled everything morosely.

Sora himself had been torn from everything and everyone he knew and loved, and been thrust into a world where everything he did was relied upon by someone else.

Riku had yielded to the darkness, partially against and partially by his own will, and almost lost himself completely. Even after prevailing over the dark, he was almost gone forever when he chose to sacrifice his safety and help Sora close the door at Kingdom Hearts. And after that, he came looking for him, and had to face his own inner demons to get through Castle Oblivion. All of that, just to help Sora.

Kairi had almost been sacrificed, as a Princess of Heart, in order to open the Keyhole at Hollow Bastion. Sora had sacrificed himself for her, and after she had returned the favor by saving him from being lost to the darkness, the two were separated for almost over a year. She had even left the safety of the islands to look for him and Riku, and helped bring the three together again and encourage Sora to go on.

Roxas, Axel, and Namine had completely sacrificed themselves, both in mind and body, to help Sora. Axel had died for him while fighting the Dusks in Betwixt and Between, and also gone against the Organization time and time again to help Sora, and Roxas, succeed; Namine had given up her safety by defying DiZ and other Organization members to help regain Sora's memories and help Roxas at the same time; and Roxas had given up the life he thought he had, the life he could have gone on pretending to have, to complete Sora and help him conquer the darkness.

_So many people_, Sora thought. _So many people gave up their safety for me. Do I even deserve it? Sure, I may have done the right thing, completing the journey I was told was destiny…but now I know about this legacy. Was everything before just a test? If what I'm really supposed to be doing lies ahead, what was everything I did before now? Just…unimportant? Insignificant?_ He dismissed this thought angrily; of course it had been significant. He had saved a lot of people, and avenged those who had given up everything for him. He had done the right thing.

Briefly, Sora became aware of what sounded like conversation. Then again, it might have been Riku talking in his sleep again. Either way, he dismissed his Keyblade and gingerly stepped out of bed and onto the floor, lightly crossing the floor and opening the door as quietly as he possibly could. Passing Riku room, and then Cloud's room, he leaned into the doorway of Taro's room to see if he was still asleep.

No one was there.

Slightly surprised, Sora stood at the top of the stairs for a moment, before he heard the talking again. Slinking down the stairs, quieter than a sneaking cat, he stopped on the landing and leaned over the banister, listening carefully to try and figure who was talking and where they were.

"…don't know why you're going through with this, Taro." Sora blinked. He had only caught a fragment of the sentence, and the voice was unfamiliar. They were addressing Taro, but who could he be talking to—and at a time this early in the morning? Though he was confused in general, he could tell they were in the kitchen.

"Enik, don't worry about it." This voice he recognized; it was definitely Taro's. He sounded somewhat uneasy, and there was a long pause before he spoke again. "Everything's under control."

Just as Sora decided to make his way to the kitchen, the voice he couldn't discern spoke again, this time louder and with a seemingly angrier tone. Sora stopped mid-step at the foot of the stairs, frozen in place with surprise.

"Taro, I know you well enough to be able to say that you're only trying to do what _you_ think is right. And what _you _think is right isn't always right, right? This time you're wrong."

"…what? What are you say—"

"I'm saying that you shouldn't have anything to do with this kid and whatever people he brought with him. It's too risky."

This caught Sora off-guard. He wasn't expecting that Taro and—Enik, was it?—to be talking about him. As he tiptoed over to the kitchen's entryway, Taro broke the silence that had fallen after the preceding comment.

"He's a good person, Enik. I trust him. All he needs is a place to start on this new adventure of his. And who knows—he may be able to help me. I think—"

"Hyakutaro, _stop_." Taro, apparently shocked at the use of his full name, paused in the midst of his sentence. "Remember what happened to my parents. Your aunt and uncle. Remember who killed them."

"…a bunch of the Heartless." Taro mumbled quietly.

"And remember who killed _your_ parents."

"Don't bring them into this!!" Taro objected, emotional pain muffling his protest.

"Who killed them?!" the other voice demanded. Sora wanted to jump into the room and find a way to stop this. He could tell just by his tone of voice that Taro was emotionally suffering at the mention of his parents.

"The Organization killed them, all right?!" he screamed back, a sob escaping him. Sora's heart jumped. _The Organization…killed Taro's parents?_ "They killed them both." Taro continued as Sora sat hidden by the doorway. "Before they captured me." Another sob muffled his speech.

Gently, now, the other person spoke again. "Which is why I'm so upset. I don't want anything else to happen to you, Tar. I just want you to be okay. I don't want you to get your hopes up about this kid, and him helping you or anything. If you're involved, you could get hurt again." Taro sniffed. "I guess it's just that I don't understand why you're so set on going through with this, even if it could just make things worse."

The silence continued, until Taro sniffed again. "Everyone just needs a chance, you know? Before anyone gives up on them."

Another long silence broke the conversation, before there was a soft chuckle. "You're just..." The person sighed before replying good-naturedly. "You're too nice, you know that?"

Sora glanced at the floor uncomfortably as the conversation continued, more casually, but he didn't hear anything that was being said. His mind was in turmoil. Was he really causing that much trouble, just by _being_ here? How much danger was he putting Taro in; how much was he making matters worse? _Can't I ever…just…_be?_ Do I always have to be a problem, an expense on someone else's behalf? _These doubts, along with the doubts he had worried over when he had first woken up, began to well up inside him, escaping in an overly-exaggerated sigh.

Taro and the other person in the kitchen must have heard him, for seconds later, footsteps echoed through the quiet house. Bracing himself for when Taro would come over to the entryway into the kitchen and find Sora there, crouched against the wall next to a shelf, Sora was entirely surprised to feel a hand on his shoulder behind him. Screaming bloody murder, he fell over sideways and knocked into the shelf. Turning slightly to look up at the cause of his astonishment, his glance was met by a thunderstruck stare from Riku.

"What the heck is wrong with you…" the older boy started to ask, confused as to why Sora was acting like the grim reaper had just popped up in front of him.

"Sora?" Taro asked. The brown-haired boy looked up from the floor, only now becoming aware that everyone had heard him. Even Cloud was slowly coming down the stairs. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"Uh, um…" Sora stuttered, looking around nervously. He couldn't give Taro any reason to believe that he had been eavesdropping. "Riku, he, uh, snuck up on me while I was coming downstairs, and, ah…I tried to hide. Next to this—bookcase. Yeah. That's what happened."

Riku's gaze became more skeptical, but he got the idea and hesitantly nodded. "I was just joking around, that's all," he added, shrugging. "Sorry."

"No, that's okay…" Taro started to reply, but just then a tall boy walked out of the entryway behind him, blinking with confusion and staring at Cloud, Riku, and Sora with a clueless look. "Oh, wow, that was sort of rude of me. Sora, Riku, Cloud, this is my cousin." Taro said proudly, gesturing toward the boy. "Enikkusu."

"Enik for short," his cousin answered, clapping a hand on Taro's shoulder and grinning. "Great to meet you all."

Cloud sighed deeply and walked past Enik into the kitchen—without saying anything--before dropping into a chair and overemphasizing his exhaustion by slamming his head onto the table. Riku dragged Sora up off the floor despairingly and followed suit, leaning against the counter and rolling his eyes with impatience. "It's too early in the morning to _meet_ people…"

Enik looked over to Taro, dazed but still laughing quietly. "They're a thrilling bunch."

Taro only stared at his three guests and nodded with slight uncertainty. "Yeah. They really are."


	9. Chapter 9: Real to Me

Enik leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, sighing contentedly. "So. Where'd you guys say you were from?"

"Midgar." Cloud grumbled uniformly, as if it was a programmed response he gave whenever that question arose.

"We're from the Destiny Islands." Riku said through a mouthful of waffles, happier now that he had something to eat. Sora nodded to affirm his agreement in the response, but deep inside he was concerned.

_I wonder why this Enik person's being so nice to us, even after he told Taro he should leave us alone. It makes him seem so…two-faced. _

Sora's doubts about his trust in Enik were interrupted momentarily as Taro walked over with a plate of food.

"Waffles?" the boy asked, holding the plate out before him. Sora looked at the plate and shook his head slowly.

"No thanks, I'm fine."

"Are you sure—"

"Yeah," he said, halting Taro mid-sentence. "I'm good, thanks." Suddenly, Sora noticed everyone in the room staring at him. Enik's gaze, especially, worried him—it was very suspicious, even somewhat calculating. The last thing he needed was more reason for Taro's cousin to be wary of him. "Still sort of tired, you know?"

Taro nodded and walked back to the counter without comment, making the moment even more awkward as the conversation died completely. Riku clinked his silverware against his plate, looking around at the other people in the room as if he were willing them to start talking again. Cloud sat completely still, glaring at the wall and avoiding eye contact with anyone. Taro glanced at Enik nervously.

Unable to handle the uncomfortable silence, Sora stood up and walked out onto the front porch, sighing deeply.

_Why me_, he thought for the millionth time that day. _Why? _

_

* * *

_

Sora sat miserably on the railing of the porch, staring out at the ocean. Lost in the stressed out, conflicting arguments that were spiraling through his mind, he didn't at all notice when Riku opened the door and walked up behind him.

"Sora?" he asked quietly, nudging his friend. The younger boy barely turned around to face him before sullenly staring back out to sea. "C'mon Sora, stop being like this. You've been all withdrawn ever since we left. What's wrong with you?"

There was a drawn-out silence that seemed like it would never end, until Sora suddenly jumped off the railing and stood with his back to Riku, glaring angrily at the ground.

"You have to ask?"

Riku shook his head as he walked around in front of Sora, facing him now. "No, I don't. But you can't let everything we left behind keep you there when you're not."

"How would you know what that feels like?" Sora knew immediately that he had asked a useless question.

But Riku only chuckled quietly, sitting down on one of the porch steps with a sigh. He spun around to look up at Sora and smirked. "_You_ have to ask?" More silence. "When I left everything behind me, it wasn't for any good reason like it was for you. But then I learned—and learned fast—how to move on. And I _still_ had to leave what I knew behind me, including the darkness that I had struggled to give up. So you, Sora….you need to learn to move on too."

_Learn to move on,_ Sora thought sadly. _He says it like it's an easy thing to do._ "Don't you understand, Riku? I just can't leave things behind like you could. I had to leave you and Kairi behind, and our home, too. _Twice_."

"And I left all of that behind twice, too, smart guy." Riku answered smartly.

"Only once on your own terms, though." The two grinned at each other sarcastically, but Riku held up a hand to silence his friend.

"Regardless—you have to think of it like this. You look past where you've been, and you look ahead to where you're going. The point is, don't _stop_ going."

Quietly, Sora processed this information. Riku was right, after all—he couldn't mope around and obsess over things that had already happened, no matter how regrettable. Running a hand through his spiky hair, he nodded and sighed. "Yeah. You're right."

Shrugging his shoulders, Riku snickered. "When am I not? Which brings me to my next question—there's something else here that I don't know about, isn't there?"

"What?" Sora snapped hastily, a wave of panic enveloping him. "No, there's—"

"This morning. When I came downstairs? I'm talking about that."

"Oh that was nothing." Sora mumbled, speaking so quickly it came out sounding like one whole word. "I was just, um…."

"Sora, I wasn't born yesterday. What were Taro and his cousin saying, and why were you bothering to listen, huh?"

This was where Sora ended his persona of ignorance. Taking a deep breath and looking up at the sky nervously, he answered with a mumbled statement that was hardly audible. "Well, they were…they were talking about me."

"You? Why you?" Riku asked inquiringly. A tinge of concern entered his voice.

"Enik said—" Sora paused as he struggled to remember the exact words. "He said that Taro shouldn't have anything to do with 'that kid and whatever people he brought with him'. Because he thinks it's too risky for him to be involved."

"Because of—"

"Organization XIII." they finished in agreement.

"So now I'm left wondering what he's up to…Enik, I mean. I know he's just trying to keep Taro safe because of what he's been through, and his parents and all…"

"His parents?"

Sighing, Sora cursed himself for letting that slip. "Yeah, Organization XIII killed Taro's parents. The Heartless killed Enik's."

An awkward, sad silence settled over them. Riku exhaled loudly, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can understand why they'd be worried, then."

"Exactly, but doesn't it still bother you that Enik thinks we'll somehow cause them to show up here again?"

"It does," Riku admitted, "but I'm not entirely sure that Organization XIII has any way to tell where we are. So for now, we're okay, and we're not planning to be here for too long. But did Taro talk him out of it at all?" Sora nodded, shook his head hesitantly, and nodded again. Riku scoffed. "So I guess that's a yes _and_ a no. All I can say is don't worry about it. We'll do whatever it is we have to do, in spite of whether or not Taro is included. And forget about the Organization, we'll worry about them when we have to. Don't let it weigh you down."

"Yeah, okay." Slowly turning and heading towards the door, Sora stopped a few feet away from where he had been standing and nodded towards Riku. "Thanks."

"Anytime," the older boy answered, "but I'm not real fanatical on becoming a full-time psychologist for all of your neurotic needs, got that?" he added jokingly, shoving Sora into the door as he laughed. "Pull yourself together."

"Fine then, not like I'd _want_ you lecturing me all the time."

"One more smart comment and I swear I'll throw you in the ocean."

* * *

Xaice pounded his fist against the tall glass door, forcefully enough that he was on the verge of shaking the castle's foundation. "Xarik, get out here!"

"Why _should_ I?! It's not like we're going to get that rat of a Keyblade Master yet."

The boy laughed bitterly, his hand dropping to his side. The sound, which was eerily somewhere between ecstasy and contempt, echoed through the infinite halls before gradually fading into the silence.

"Xar, why else would I come bother you like this? The Superior's called a meeting on our departure, and we both need to be down in the main hall in a few minutes. Get mov—" Barely able to finish his sentence, Xaice smirked as a blur of black leather and lavender hair flew past him and took off down the hall. Jogging casually in order to catch up, he reached out a hand and caught her mid-stride.

A glare that seemed to flood with venom met his gaze. Without noticing, Xaice laughed again and let go of Xarik's arm gently.

"You don't have to run, we'll make it there either way," he informed her calmly. Panting, Xarik looked around frantically before settling her gaze on Xaice and nodding slowly—her eyes filled with anxiety.

Xaice sighed and turned around, continuing on down the corridor at a leisurely, bored pace. "It's no big deal, you know."

There was silence for a moment, and Xarik mumbled something from beside him; he turned his head to stare at her.

"What'd you say?"

"I said…" she hesitated. "I said 'it is to me'." The comment instigated another laugh from Xaice, who quickly earned himself another hateful glance. "What's so funny?"

"Isn't it always?" was his reply as he shook his head. "All you ever think about is getting the better of him, isn't it?"

Looking over at Xaice from behind her disheveled, purple-hued hair, Xarik blinked her brilliant silver eyes. "What else is there for me to think about?"

This statement stopped the boy in his tracks. His affable, careless grin faded into a preoccupied grimace. "Well, there's…uh…" he pondered the subject for a moment, staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. Minutes passed. "Life?"

"And what is this 'life' to us, Xaice? We're dead."

"Not _technically_…" he protested, all traces of contentment erased from his expression.

"Yes, perhaps not in the literal sense of the word, but dead all the same. We, as Nobodies, have no hearts—we're only half a being. If that isn't at least close to dead, I don't know what is." A sigh escaped her. "We have nothing to look for in life, because it is lost to us. We are here only to fulfill the needs of the Organization. To do that, we must defeat all those who stand in our way. And, as you know, that means defeating the Keyblade Master. That, Xaice, is our life…or lack thereof." They continued walking, Xaice barely keeping pace as he was so lost in thought.

"So, what you're saying…" he finally said, uncertain, "what you're saying is you obsess over killing Sora because it's all we have for a purpose? All we have for a life?" Xaice stared at her doubtfully, wondering what she was trying to say. But Xarik nodded slowly, turning her gaze away from his questioning face. "Xar, how can you say that? I always thought that you knew…"

"Knew what?" she spat. Anger and hatred swiftly clouded her menacing glare, her face turning a light shade of red. "That the only reason we still _exist_ is because we had a strong will in our past life—and now that will, what's left of us, is being manipulated, is being _used_ as a roadblock for a stupid, two-bit brat with a damn giant _key_?!"

"That's not what I meant." Xaice argued, stepping closer to her. "I always thought you knew that you were too good to ever think that. You're too…" he struggled to find the right words. "You're too _real_ to ever have to think you have no more of a purpose than the one handed to you."

"What are you talking about?" she snapped, her voice lowering almost unnoticeably. Curiosity slowly crept into her tone, and a look of confusion flitted across her face.

"Xarik…" Xaice muttered, looking back over at her. "I feel the same way you do, sometimes. Hell, it doesn't seem like it, but I do. I've known for a while that it was really a waste of time, all this—we exist for the Organization, to do what we're told when we're told, and to spend every moment tracking down Sora so as to bring him to an end. That's all we're good for, really."

Xarik scoffed, swallowing tears back. He was right and she knew it—but she wished he was wrong. "Now you see why I call Larxene my mother. She's the best thing I've ever had so far—someone close to family which is real—isn't it? She was someone to look up to, someone to model myself after so I didn't feel so used. So I feel like I can decide who to be instead of them deciding for me; like I'm my own person. " A tear slid down her face. "But the sick thing is that's _exactly_ what they want us to think."

"You're different, though." Xaice added quickly. The two of them had stopped walking completely and were standing in the middle of the second floor hallway, near the last flight of stairs; seemingly motionless from a distance. Only at a close range would anyone notice the sorrow in their eyes, how their shoulders shook with suppressed sobs. As she wiped a stray tear away, Xarik lifted her head sadly and looked into Xaice's deep brown eyes. "Xar, don't tell yourself that you're worthless. It's true, we don't have much to live for." He smirked. "Not that we're living. Just know that to me, you are the most real person in the world. And you always will be."

Seconds passed in silence as they stared at each other, a million emotions flashing in their gazes all at once. Right when it seemed like the silence would keep lasting, Xarik threw herself forward into an unsuspecting Xaice's arms. The withheld sobs escaped her at last, and as Xaice hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, he began to cry, too.

Neither of them bothered to move. They just stood there, in each other's arms. They cried for themselves, they cried for each other, they cried for the rest of the Organization—the ones who, like them, might never get the chance to exist for real. But right then, Xarik and Xaice were as real to each other as they wished they were to themselves. So they cried.

After a moment, Xaice composed himself and held Xarik out at arm's length. Her sorrowful gaze met his, her stunning metallic eyes glimmering behind the tears.

"What?" she asked, sniffling quietly.

"Nothing," he said softly. "Making sure you were okay."

Pulling her close again, Xaice whispered three words into her hair. He hoped she hadn't heard him.


	10. Chapter 10: You Just Have To Let Go

Taro looked over at Sora and Riku as they walked back in the front door. To his reprieve, Sora looked considerably happier than before. Sighing with relief, Taro handed him a plate of food as he walked in and took a seat next to his cousin.

Sora sat down on the other side of Cloud, ignoring his apathetic expression, and turned to Taro and Enik. "Sorry 'bout that, I wasn't feeling very good. Homesick, you know?" he said hopefully, staring at Taro as if he would tell him just what to say. Taro nodded cheerfully. "Yeah, I understand." Enik shot him a worried glance, and he cut off the end of the sentence as he quickly thought of a way to change the subject. "So, um, how about going down to the beach or something today? It probably won't be as crowded; it isn't as warm as it was yesterday. And you guys…" he gestured across the table towards Sora and Riku "…you guys live on an island too, so you'd like that, right?"

"Yeah, we'd love to!" Riku said instantly before Sora could get a word in. Cloud raised an eyebrow and looked to Sora for explanation, but he only shrugged. And, once again, silence fell in the kitchen. A few awkward moments passed, and then Enik leaned forward onto the table.

"So, Sora, tell me. What's it like being the Keyblade master?"

Startled, Sora nearly choked on the mouthful of waffle he had just begun to chew. "Uh…." he coughed. "Well, it's, um..."

"Don't misunderstand; I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable." Enik said kindly, sensing Sora's uneasiness. "I guess what I'm trying to ask is if it's cool getting to see other worlds and stuff like that."

Now surprise, and then relief, crossed Sora's visage. Nodding slowly, a wide grin escaped as he opened his mouth to answer. "Actually, yeah. It is. I get to meet a lot of great people, and see things I wouldn't get to see anywhere else."

"That sounds awesome," Enik agreed, his voice sounding wistful. "I've never lived anywhere other than here, so I wouldn't know what its like."

"Same as Riku and I. We've always lived on the Destiny Islands."

"Well, looks like you two and us two have something in common, then." Enik said happily, chuckling as he tousled Taro's messy hair. Taro laughed and swatted his hand away, beaming. Sora found himself laughing, too.

"Well, we better get all this stuff cleaned up if we want to go to the beach today. You guys ate a lot." Taro pointed out. Grinning over at Riku, he snickered. "More like Riku ate a lot. Ate it _all_, in fact…"

"Hey, a guy's gotta eat!" Riku retorted, stuffing a last bite of waffle into his mouth as evidence. Enik burst out laughing, and soon everyone was joining in. Even Cloud smirked, though unnoticeably.

Sora looked around the room—his best friend, Riku; one of his best other friends from his previous journey, Cloud; a new friend, Taro; and Enik, who, at this point, didn't seem like such a bad person after all. People who he cared about. People who cared about him in return.

Taro's words from the episode earlier that day rang in his head. _Everyone just needs a chance, you know? Before anyone gives up on them. _Sora knew he had been right—now that he had taken a chance getting to know Taro, and Enik as well, things were finally beginning to look up.

The only problem was, would it stay that way for long?

* * *

Xarik stood stoically in front of the tall door, staring at it with a faraway expression. It was almost as if she expected it to disappear, or swing open on its own. Neither of these things happened as the seconds passed by silently. The faint sounds of conversation could be heard from within the adjacent room, with Nexhayd's raucous shouting audible over all other voices, accompanied by Zaix's laughter and Rarext's harsh chastising. But Xarik remained motionless, still gazing towards the doorway. 

Xaice stood close behind her, watching her immobile frame with a grim look. The gaze from his chocolate-colored eyes gave nothing away, but on the inside he was in complete turmoil.

_I love Xarik. I love her._

_But I can't love her. It's impossible; I have no heart. No emotions. I can't love._

_So I don't love her. It's nothing. Ignore it._

_No, what it really is, is that I _won't _love her_. _My duty is to the Organization, not to myself. I am nothing. I do not love. I only feel hate, false though it may be._

_But I have to love her. I need her._

_Wait…_what_ am I _saying_? I don't need her. What does a Nobody need? We need nothing, for we are nothing. We are worthless nothings. _

_Then why don't I feel like a nothing? Why does she make me feel so…important? _

_Is it because she needs me? Or because I really _do_ need her? So, do we need each other? Is that it?_

_Maybe. It _feels_ like that. Or, at least, something close to feeling._

_When…humans…feel like that, isn't that what love is? _

_But love doesn't exist for me. It doesn't exist for any of us._

_Then why? Why do I need her this badly, why do I have a longing for her to stay by my side? If it isn't love, then what can it be?_

_I love Xarik, but I can't love._

Xaice shook his head, attempting to clear the mess of thoughts swirling through his anxious, over-worked mind. Xarik hadn't moved from her position facing the door. Stepping forward cautiously, he laid a hand gently on her shoulder. Instantly, she spun around to meet his gaze, her metallic eyes brimming with an indescribable longing of some sort. Gradually reaching up with one hand, she placed hers on top of Xaice's and held it securely, yet still tenderly. She lowered both of their hands until they hung by their sides, still clasped together.

_I love her,_ Xaice thought, desperately trying to disprove his own notion. _I can't._ A fleeting hint of exasperation flashed in his expression before he nervously jerked his hand out of Xarik's.

"We, um…we have to go. We'll miss the meeting," he blurted out uncertainly, gesturing towards the door to enhance the excuse.

Xarik looked up at him regretfully, nodding so slowly it was barely even noticeable. "Yes, you're right." Turning back to the door, she pushed it open. As it slid across the floor, revealing the rest of the Organization to the two in the hallway, Xaice made a hurried decision.

_I love her. I know I do. That doesn't change the fact that I can't. I won't let Xarik see that I love her. Maybe then, she'll hate me. Maybe then, this pain will subside._

_Maybe then, I can keep on being dead without her making me feel so alive._

"Hey, Xaice!" Zaix called from within the room, his bronze hair completely disheveled. It was evident that he had been involved in some type of scuffle—most likely with Lenexa, who was sprawled on the floor at the other end of the room, moaning. Rarext was standing on the table (surprising in itself), pointing at Nexhayd and screaming at him so hatefully she was practically spitting venom. The boy was apathetically pulling at his spiky purple hair, completely ignoring her, while Texal sat beside him, looking completely fed-up.

Xaice waved to Zaix and walked over to him, trying his best to look like nothing was wrong. But that didn't get past Zaix; he instantly looked confused and tilted his head questioningly.

"What's got you down, D-men?"

There was no immediate answer; Xaice was watching Xarik, who was standing all alone, looking like she always did when they had meetings concerning Sora—very angry and determined. Zaix tapped his friend on the shoulder, looking for an answer.

"Huh?" Xaice replied, thrown off. "Oh. I'm fine, just tired, you know?"

Zaix nodded, still looking a little wary. "Mm, right."

A loud shot emitted from the corner of the room, and one of Lenexa's energy bursts flew by at an alarming speed, catching Zaix on the shoulder before it passed mere inches from Xaice's head, scorching the tips of his hair. Zaix spun around and glared at the snickering culprit.

"It's over for you now, Len…" he muttered, stomping over menacingly as the burnt shoulder of his cloak continued smoldering. Screeching very obnoxiously, Lenexa jumped up, ran towards the doorway, and made a desperate attempt to escape, only to have the door swing open suddenly, hitting him in the face and knocking him out cold. Rarext paused in her ranting and grinned, looking pleased, before turning back to Nexhayd and slapping him upside the head in frustration. Texal had apparently had enough; he stood up and walked over to Xaice.

"That must be the rest of them," he mumbled jadedly, shuffling his deck of cards.

"I believe you're right," Xaice agreed, "but I really _wish_ you were wrong."

Two cloaked figures walked into the room, side by side, both the same exact height. Rarext halted her abuse of Nexhayd and stared at the pair with a mixed expression of dread and abhorrence. Flipping his spiky purple hair, Nexhayd turned in his seat and grinned at the two figures.

"Heya Rent, Kassy! Long time no see!"

The figure closest to him flipped back their hood, revealing the face of a very happy-looking girl. Rarext grimaced and turned away, looking repulsed. Xaice stifled a laugh, and Texal rolled his eyes and walked towards Xarik, who was caught up in her usual habit of stabbing the floor with a kunai knife.

"Nexy! It's been so long!" the girl shrieked happily, her bright blue eyes glowing with joy. She shook out her long blonde hair, which had been flattened by her hood, before throwing herself into Nexhayd's open arms with an overwhelming amount of delight. The other Nobodies did their best not to gag. It was unlikely for a Nobody of their kind to ever be so peppy, and it was unsettling—not to mention uncomfortable.

"Kasix…" the other figure muttered in a monotone. She glared.

"Rent, stop being a bad brother! Leave me alone!" Kasix protested, leaning against Nexhayd and frowning like a little girl.

"Kas, you're fifteen, not five," her brother added, pulling back his hood and staring at her disapprovingly. His eyes and hair were the exact same shade as his sister's, which was not unlikely for a pair of identical twins. "Not to mention that the last two are on their way down right now and I really don't need you embarrassing us in front of the _entire_ Organization," he ordered, glancing behind him at Lenexa, who was just coming to after being unconscious for several minutes.

"Aw c'mon, Rent," Nexhayd interjected, "she isn't _embarrassing_, she's _cute_."

"Oh shut _up_," Rarext hissed, kicking the back of his chair in disgust. He turned and stuck out his tongue at her, adding to the overflow of loathing spilling from her glare. Zaix started laughing in spite of himself, and she kicked him in the stomach harshly. Just when it seemed that Zaix was about to kill her despite the fact that she could very well kill him first, the door opened up again and two more Nobodies entered the now-crowded room, both with their hoods down. One was a boy; the other, a girl.

"Hello everyone…" the boy mumbled. All present turned their heads in surprise, staring at the black-haired boy as he stared back with passive green eyes.

"Xantu?" Xaice asked disbelievingly, stepping forward a little. Xantu nodded solemnly and walked across the room in silence, calmly taking a seat near Rarext despite the fact that everyone was continuing to watch him carefully.

"What brings you up to this neck of the castle?" Zaix asked casually. All heads turned to face Xantu, who was looking right at his questioner. The answer came almost instantly.

"Sora."

A deafening shattering sound erupted from Xarik's general location. A few of the Nobodies, including Xaice and Nexhayd, who had jumped at the sound, turned to face her and were not surprised to find that at the mention of Sora, she had slammed a kunai knife into the floor so forcefully it had shattered a good portion of it. A system of deep, wide crevices spread out in a spider-web pattern from where she had placed the knife, and small pieces of broken glass surrounded her. Uninterested, the attention turned away from Xarik back to the other girl, who had just entered with Xantu.

"Let me guess," Lenexa mumbled, sounding woozy as he tried to re-orient himself. "Taxi?"

"_Don't_ call me that," the girl snapped distastefully, pushing her dark brown bangs out of her face to reveal eyes as black as coal. "My name is Taxea. Get it right, Len." She glared at everyone standing around her, and then turned to Rarext. "Hello, Rare," she said softly. Rarext's cynical expression softened as she nodded a greeting back, and she motioned for Taxea to come sit nearby. The girl began to make her way over, and the door swung open once more. She paused mid-step and turned as silence and anxiety settled over the area.

"Are all present?" the Superior inquired as he strode into the room. Xaice was the first to stand up, straight and tall, and he was soon followed by the rest. Zaix elbowed Rarext, and, grudgingly, she rolled her eyes and stood up, slouching slightly.

"Yes, Superior," echoed throughout the room. In unison, the eleven cloaked Nobodies bowed gracefully to their leader before straightening up once more and staring directly ahead with concentrated sincerity.

"Fayxt, enter," he called, turning slightly to look behind him.

"Yes, sir." The boy walked slowly, but surely, past the Superior until he stood about four feet in front of him, facing the rest of the members with a blank, distant stare. Lenexa shuddered beside Nexhayd, and Kasix stood closer to her brother. "I am only here to say one thing. Some of you have heard it, some of you have not. My wish is this and nothing but this—if any of you, during any battle with Sora, see the one we call Roxas…" shivers rippled through his audience, "…you are to cease battle immediately. Is this understood?"

Everyone nodded—except Kasix.

"Uh, um, excuse me? Fayxt?"

Fayxt paused, trying to decipher who was speaking to him. "It's Kasix, correct?"

"Y-Yes, sir." She turned to her brother, who was watching her with a horrified look. "Why do you wish that? Why do we have to stop fighting if we see Roxas?"

The boy grinned eerily, his milky gray eyes narrowing. "You do wish to have me remain as part of the Organization, correct?"

"Of course…" Kasix answered reluctantly, unsure of exactly how to answer. But Fayxt only nodded as he turned to exit.

"Well, there, Kasix, is your answer."

No one dared to even breathe as he elegantly walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall for several moments after he had left. The Superior turned to them.

"Fayxt is like a pillar for this Organization," he explained. "Without him, everything we are, everything we've accomplished so far, would crumble. Including the efforts of those before us." Xarik's muffled shriek of indignation was ignored. "Thus, we must honor Fayxt's wishes if he sees them fit to his liking. Now…" he stepped further into the room. "To discuss the attack on Memory Isle."

"Sir?" Lenexa asked, coming closer. "When does the plan take effect, sir?"

Their leader chuckled to himself before raising his head to look at the boy.

"Immediately. Now all of you, sit down and listen very carefully."

* * *

Pointing to the bandage on his face, Sora smirked. "You think it's okay, Riku?" 

His friend observed the bandage, turning his head a few times as he considered it. "Mm, yeah. It should be fine, by now."

"What's okay? What're you talking about?" Taro asked curiously as he walked in from the living room with his shoes in his hand. Enik stood not far behind him, watching Sora and Riku exchange anxious glances and eyeing Sora's bandage warily.

"Oh, we were just discussing this bandage, here," Riku answered finally, nodding towards it. "Sora hurt himself before we left, but he should be able to take it off now." Pausing, he nodded towards his friend. "Go ahead."

The younger boy looked at Riku uneasily, hesitating as he lifted his hands to his face and slowly tore away the white cloth. As more and more of it was removed, a sky-blue eye identical to his other became visible beneath Sora's dirty-blonde hair. Seconds later, Sora disposed of the bandage and turned to Riku, Taro, and Enik.

"How do I look?" he asked, directing his question more towards Riku, who had seen the gash when Sora had first gotten it.

But there was silence. Riku was staring at him regretfully, and Taro and Enik exchanged sympathetic looks.

"What? What's wrong?" Sora asked, confused. Taro stepped forward.

"That's a pretty bad scar…good thing it's faded some."

"Scar? What scar?" he shouted, looking anxiously from one person to the next. Sighing, Riku grabbed him by the arm and led him to the nearest mirror. Pointing to it, he shook his head.

"Just look."

Leaning over cautiously, Sora tilted his head closer to the mirror. Sure enough, there _was_ a scar—a thin, slightly faded line, starting from his temple and continuing to his jaw. Xaice had obviously left it there when he had slashed at Sora's face. Shuddering, Sora turned and faced his friends solemnly.

"That'll look nice in the yearbook," he mumbled, trying to sound optimistic. Taro grinned and laughed.

"It sure will," the boy answered with cheerful sarcasm. Riku scoffed in an attempt to conceal his amusement, and Enik bit his lip as he noticeably shook with laughter. The hilarity subsided as Cloud began to come back downstairs. Staring at Sora's scar sullenly, the swordsman gestured towards the door.

"So are we going or what?" he asked, looking around apathetically. All turned to Taro, who nodded and started towards the door.

"Yeah, we'll leave right now. Before the place gets too crowded."

Enik walked briskly out the door, jogging slightly to catch up with his younger cousin. Sora, Riku, and Cloud hung back for a moment before they too left the comfort of Taro's home and stepped out into the world once again.

* * *

Waves lapped up against the sandy shore, creating a clock-like rhythm that matched the beating of Sora's heart. A few wispy clouds floated lazily in the azure sky as small birds turned flips in the air and chirped happily. Soft, snow-white grains of sand were swept up by a cool, salty sea breeze, the smell of the ocean lingering in the air even after the wind had died down. Rays of sunshine drifted through the trees, bathing the entire beach in soft, warm light. 

Standing at the edge of the ocean with his eyes closed, letting the cool water rush freely towards him, Sora was home. For a fleeting moment, he forgot everything that had occurred so far—where he was, why he was there….everything. Just for that moment, he was back on the Destiny Islands, at the water's edge, with all the people he knew and loved beside him. Riku was there. Tidus, Selphie, Wakka….even Sora's mother stood nearby, watching her son with a calmed expression.

And of course, standing closest to him, with her hand in his, was Kairi. She smiled up at him, leaning contently against his shoulder. Even as he heard voices around him, he ignored them, wanting to prolong his daydream as long as possible. Clenching and unclenching his fist, Sora realized with a pang of disappointment that she was not really there; it was only a dream after all. He hated to think that, he hated having to admit to himself that any happiness he could imagine was just that—imagination and nothing more. Frustrated, he continued the motion with his hand in a desperate attempt to convince himself, for once, that he might be right. He opened his hand, feeling the breeze drift through his fingers, and then, slowly, closed his hand—expecting it to only close in on itself.

Instead, it closed in on another hand. Sora jumped in astonishment, but didn't dare open his eyes. He gently clasped the hand, and immediately he felt a rush of happiness. In that instant, he really felt as if Kairi were there. She herself—whether she was a figment of his imagination or not; Sora couldn't care less at this point—even stood on her tiptoes, leaning closer to his face to whisper something in his ear.

"Hello, Sora," she whispered, grinning.

Sora froze.

The voice he heard wasn't Kairi's. It was calculating, frigid with hate, and one he had never heard before. This wasn't Kairi.

Jerking his hand back defensively and instantly snapping himself out of his daydream, he turned on the spot and summoned his Keyblade, taking a protective stance.

The scene that met him was so shocking; it nearly caused him to faint.

Enik and Taro were standing about 4 feet away on either side of him; Taro gripping a sword in both hands with all his might. Riku and Cloud were up ahead, standing face-to-face with four cloaked figures. All four of them were laughing hysterically.

"Oh good, _now_ you decide to snap out of happy land!" Riku sneered, glaring with frustration. "Do you have any _idea_ how long we've been trying to get your attention?!"

"But I was….and you…."

"Sora, quiet." Taro whispered from beside him. Sora turned to look at him and was surprised to see that the boy was visibly shivering with fear. "It'll be okay." Enik looked at his cousin nervously and then glowered at Sora so hatefully that the boy wanted to turn and run.

He had done it again. Just when things had seemed right, he had attracted more danger and put everyone he cared for at risk of harm—or worse, death.

_I hate myself_. _For this, I will never forgive myself._

"Hello, Sora!" a voice called from nearby. He jerked his head up, recognizing it as the voice that he had heard only moment before.

The figure who had spoken pulled back their hood. A girl's face smirked at him, full of hate and pleasure all at once. She pulled her blonde bangs away from her robin's-egg-blue eyes and giggled.

"Hey, you know, he's kinda cute." The girl trilled, turning to her allies. In a flash, she unexpectedly appeared to Sora's left. No one had time to react as she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek; Taro swung his sword at her, but she was already back where she had been before as it sliced through the air. "I changed my mind, you're _really_ cute," she said gleefully, taking out a sword of her own.

A second figure came forward and put their arm around the girl's shoulder. "Aw Kassy, leaving me in the dust like that? Not cool." She laughed and pulled back the other person's hood, revealing a shock of spiky purple hair, eyes as black as coal, and a row of grinning, pearl-white teeth.

"Nexy, you know that _you're_ cuter than that Sora, of course!"

"Mmm, that I _do_ know."

"You two, cut it out." The two turned to stare at one of the other figures. The voice sounded so familiar to Sora, and he realized it _was_ familiar when Riku spun around and looked at him fearfully.

"Whatever, Xai." Nexhayd muttered, pulling his arm away before unnoticeably taking Kasix's hand.

Sora's blood turned to ice inside him, causing him to shudder violently. Xaice pulled back his hood and stared at him, slightly amused.

"Ooh, is that _fear_ I see? _Fear_ exists, even in the all-powerful, unstoppable Keyblade master? This is _news_ to me, what about you, Rent?"

The final figure pulled back their hood, and Sora received an apathetic, yet still bitter, glare from the blonde-haired boy. To his surprise, this boy looked almost identical to the girl.

"I wouldn't have thought it myself."

"Exactly my feeling!" Xaice snapped, glowering at Sora. "Oh wait, that's _right_. We don't _have_ feelings." Anger clouded his dark eyes. Suddenly, as he studied Sora's face, he burst into laughter. "That scar….that must have been me, right?" He pulled out his two swords, clicking them together into one and swishing it through the air threateningly. "Too bad there's only one. We'll have to fix that."

Nexhayd grinned with pleasure. "Now?"

Xaice nodded over his shoulder and braced himself against the ground. "Now."

The boy leapt forward, and the three behind him followed immediate suit.

Enik reacted more swiftly than the others. "Taro, _go_!" he shouted in a demanding voice, shielding his cousin protectively. Taro pushed him aside and stuck his sword out in front of him, still quivering as he watched their four enemies advancing.

"No, Enik. I have to fight back. I can't just keep running."

"Taro, you don't _have_ to do anything; get out of here _now_!" Enik's voice was desperate; his eyes brimming with useless tears.

"Enik." Sora muttered as he stared dejectedly at the ground. The older boy swung around, staring at Sora with complete abhorrence. "You have to let Taro do what his heart is telling him to do."

"You stay out of this!" he retorted, shoving Sora away roughly. There was no reaction; Sora looked up at him sorrowfully and shook his head.

"You just have to let go sometime."

At that moment, Kasix came out of nowhere and stopped dead in her tracks, right in front of Sora. The boy did nothing to defend himself, and merely glanced up at her in surrender. The girl raised her sword, and Taro leapt forward to stop her. Enik grabbed him from behind suddenly, and he struggled against his grip as he forcibly held him back.

"Let me go, Enik, let go of me_ now_!"

"Don't get involved," he pleaded, but Taro yelled in defiance and thrashed wildly in his cousin's arms.

Beaming with satisfaction, Kasix twirled her sword around in her hand, held it out straight, and jabbed it into Sora's side with all her might. The boy emitted an ear-splitting scream of pain, his knees buckling as he sank to the ground.

"SORA!!!" Taro cried, punching Enik desperately as he shook with sobs. Riku, who was several yards away, fighting Renterx, turned at the sound. Noticing Sora lying in the sand, moaning in agony, he shouted furiously. He turned back to Renterx for a split moment, kicking him forcefully in the stomach before knocking him unmercifully unconscious, and then bolted towards his friend. Cloud abandoned Nexhayd and Xaice to do the same. Uniformly, the lasting Organization members stood stock-still as they watched the injured Keyblade Master with utter fulfillment.

Enik stared at Sora, horrified, and let go of Taro out of sheer astonishment. The boy threw himself towards Sora, who was still screaming in anguish.

"Oh my god, Sora…." Riku muttered, watching in panic as patches of white sand around him began to turn blood red. Sora whined, tears of suffering streaming down his pale, insipid face as he faced his friend.

"R-Riku….help….me…." he pleaded, whimpering helplessly. His gloved hands were pressed weakly to his side, soaking with blood.

"Don't worry, Sora, we'll get you help, just hang in there, okay?" The younger boy managed a weak nod, his breath coming out in short, pained gasps.

Snickering erupted behind Riku. Seething with rage, he stood up straight and looked over his shoulder at Cloud before nodding to him. Cloud nodded back and stepped forward to stand beside him, shielding Sora from the view of Xaice and the others.

"Hey, down in front!" Nexhayd called, laughing. "You're obstructing our view of the show, genius!"

"Show," Riku repeated with disgust. "You sick, twisted, evil, _nothing_."

"That's just a little harsh, don't you agree?" Xaice asked, raising an eyebrow. Renterx struggled to his feet nearby, but added a small nod to Xaice's comment.

"Not at all," Cloud mumbled, drawing his sword. Xaice frowned and shrugged.

"Your loss, then," he replied, pointing his own sword towards Riku and Cloud. Riku gripped his Keyblade securely in his hands, and prepared to attack.

Just as he was about to leap forward, Taro rushed past him, sword at the ready.

"TARO, NO!" Enik screamed, trying to run after him. Cloud grabbed his sleeve and dragged him back. "Don't' even _try_ to stop me! Let go!"

"Stay with Sora." Cloud looked at him, an expression of utmost seriousness on his face. Grimacing, Enik only struggled harder.

"He's going to _die_; you can't just leave him…."

Taro lunged towards Xaice, swinging his sword wildly. Scoffing, Xaice leaned forward and tripped him, staring at him condescendingly.

"Oh, SOLDIER boy, how we've _missed_ you," he said in a sing-song tone. Nexhayd kicked sand into Taro's face, getting down on his knees so he could glare directly into the boy's fearful eyes.

"You useless lab rat, we want you back."

Taro glared up at them, tears streaming down his face in frustration. Memories, tortured memories, flashed through his mind, filling him with fear. He heard Enik yelling at him to stop, to turn around and run.

He wanted to. He wanted to get away as fast as he could.

But then he heard Riku, calling to Sora and trying to keep him conscious; Sora sobbing in torment as he tossed back and forth in the sand, twisted with pain.

That's what kept him where he was, kneeling helplessly as he was surrounded by the four armed Organization members, intent on completing their mission of murder and abduction. But if he was to have any hope that the universe would someday be free of this evil, he had to keep the hope alive.

Sora _was_ that hope. Without him, there would be no way to defeat the darkness.

"Hmm, looks like he's given up." Nexhayd commented, grabbing Taro by his hood and yanking him to his feet. "Shall we be off, then?"

_No,_ Taro thought as anger, hatred, and fear welled up inside him. _No, no, no…_

Suddenly the beach lit up with a white light, blinding the cloaked Nobodies temporarily. Enik jumped up and bolted forward, only to be stopped by Riku.

"TARO!!!" he cried, seeming more anxious than ever.

"He'll be fine, calm down!" Riku pleaded, but Enik only shook his head mournfully.

"No, he won't be fine, he's having an attack!"

"_What_?!" Riku asked, horror dawning on his previously calm face.

As if in reply to Riku's disbelief, the light disappeared, and Taro was revealed once more, standing before them as he had been. But something was tragically different—he was standing erect, quivering with rage, his hands clenched into tight fists.

"How can we stop him….?" Cloud muttered, having returned to Riku and Enik's side.

"Any way you can." Enik answered, sounding defeated.

At that moment, Taro sprung forward, seeming catlike as he leapt into the air and threw himself at his foes. Xaice jumped out of the way hurriedly, now looking more cautious than confident. Kasix and Renterx frantically converged, muttering something inaudibly. As Kasix stepped away, holding her sword steadily before her, her brother lifted both hands into the air and tried to shout something loudly, apparently attempting to cast a spell of some sort. Before the sentence was finished, Taro sped over, grabbed him by his arm, and flipped him backwards into the sand before jumping on top of him, snapping his ribcage. The boy, being a Nobody, made no sound, not feeling the pain; he merely drifted into an unconscious state as Taro turned to his sister. She faced him bravely and slashed him with her sword, cutting his arm deeply. The injury did not faze him; he grabbed her sword and his own and sliced her in two different directions across her shoulders.

"You done for brat, you'll pay for facing _us_!" Nexhayd roared, rushing forward. Taro stood completely still, most likely waiting for his enemy to get close enough to be attacked at short range.

"He's…he's out of control." Riku observed, staring up at Enik with a mixed expression of awe and horror. But the older boy was already walking forward, his face blank of any emotion.

"We have to stop him before they do," was the reply.

* * *

Sora was on fire. His side burned with intense throbbing, sending shockwaves of stabbing pain coursing through his body, piercing him all over. His arms and legs were slowly becoming numb, and his vision was blurring into black nothing-ness. He could feel his hair becoming matted in the drying blood, and his hands were stained deep red as they remained closed against his wound. 

_Sora_, a voice called desperately. _Sora, answer me!_

"Rox…Roxas….?" Sora whispered to himself, shuddering as he breathed in weakly.

_Sora, are you…are you dying?_

"I think so, Roxas…."

_You're not going to die, I swear you won't! I'm going to try and get out like last time…I think it's the only thing that will drive them away. Can you help me?_

"Wh-what should…what should I do?"

_I'm not really sure, but I think the reason I got out last time was because I knew you needed help, and our combined willpower allowed me to separate from you. So you need to want the help for it to work._

"I do…want help…" Sora whispered as everything started to fade.

_And I want to help you. Concentrate on that, Sora. Concentrate._

It wasn't hard for the boy to focus on the help he needed. He closed his eyes, struggling to stay conscious, and begged with all his heart for some type of deliverance from the pain. Moments passed, seeming like an eternity, before…

"Xaice, it's happening!" Nexhayd called as he skidded to a halt yards from a waiting Taro. Seeing this as a chance to attack, Taro flung himself ahead full force, swinging his body around and kicking the Nobody forcefully in the head. Stumbling, the boy staggered over to Xaice and pointed towards Sora.

Roxas stood upright in the sand, not looking surprised as he had the last time he had separated from Sora, but looking confident and intimidating. His bright blue eyes drilled holes in those of the Nobodies, and they stepped back in heightened fear, seeing only Fayxt as they stared in horror at the boy.

"Nexhayd, get Kasix; I'll get Rent and we're leaving." Following the orders, Nexhayd lifted Kasix off the ground and into his arms, sticking one hand out in front of him to open a portal back to their headquarters. Xaice nudged Renterx with his foot, putting one arm around his comrade's shoulders as he dragged him towards the portal.

"We have get Taro before he follows them!" Enik warned, sprinting forward as he closed the distance between him and his cousin. Riku started onward, but Cloud held him back and ran ahead himself. He and Enik tackled Taro from behind, catching him off-guard. The boy thrashed violently as they restrained him, biting, kicking, and scratching.

Xaice watched silently from the portal, having been the last Organization member remaining. Staring at Roxas from across the beach, he smirked.

"You've really caused a lot of trouble for yourself, staying with him like this," he accused, glaring hatefully. "And, now that I think about it, you've caused _more_ than enough trouble for him and all the rest of the world, too.

"And how is that, exactly?" Roxas looked back fiercely in response.

"If you only realized _why_ it is we don't just kill you, you might understand." With that, he snapped his fingers, disappearing along with the portal. Enik let go of Taro immediately and dashed away. Cloud made the mistake of not knowing to follow his lead, and suffered for it.

Taro immediately bit down on the swordsman's arm forcefully enough to draw a considerable amount of blood. Cloud yelped in surprise and pain, pulling his arm away—another mistake. The younger boy took the opportunity and freed himself from his captor's hold, instantly turning on him, sword raised. Cloud raised his own blade in defense, but Taro attacked so ruthlessly that he managed to almost sever Cloud's hand from his arm. It was then that Enik stepped in, putting his cousin in a headlock and ripping his sword out of his hands.

"Taro, shh, calm down now. Stop what you're doing, calm down…" he whispered soothingly, ignoring the boy's flailing and growling. Enik continued talking to Taro in a calm, even voice, holding him gently yet securely at the same time. Moments passed, and sure enough, the rage left Taro's eyes and he passed out in Enik's arms. Without hesitation, Enik laid two fingers against the comatose boy's neck, paused, and sighed with relief.

"What was that for?" Cloud asked as he wrapped his hand in a piece of cloth he had torn from his shirt. Enik looked up at him gravely.

"Making sure he was still alive."

* * *

"Sora? Hey Sora, I got them to leave." Roxas knelt down and nudged his other very gently on the shoulder, avoiding his injured side as much as possible. There was no response. "Sora?" 

"Huhhh….?" the boy moaned after a moment, opening his eyes despairingly.

"They left. The Organization, that is. It's over, for now."

"Oh, good…." Sora mumbled faintly, as if he were dreaming. Roxas watched him with concern, before turning to the cobalt blue sky and sighing.

"This is killing me inside, Sora. If you die, so will I. If you die, so will Kairi. She wouldn't be able to stand it, knowing you no longer exist in this world. And if she dies, then so does Namine. If you die, we _all_ do, and then there's no hope of defeating the darkness. None. I'll…I'll do whatever I can to help, but something's telling me I won't always be here to help you. There'll be times when you have to tough it out on your own." He turned to see Riku, Enik, and Cloud approaching; of course, none of them could see him. Grinning, he took Sora's hand. "Like now." Closing his eyes, he began to fade away, sparkling in the bright sun as he did. Just as he disappeared completely, Riku knelt down where Roxas had previously been and evaluated Sora's condition.

"What was that sparkling?" Enik asked curiously, looking around, clueless.

"Sora's Nobody was disappearing; that's why the Organization left, because he made himself appear to them," Riku said calmly, as if this was ordinary news.

Enik stiffened. "So that _was_ the Organization….have you seen them before?"

"Riku, it hurts…" Sora moaned, his expression contorted in distress.

"I know, shh…" he mumbled to Sora. "Only one of them was familiar," he commented to Enik as he took off his vest, now wearing the black zip-up sleeveless jacket that was usually underneath. Tenderly, he lifted Sora's hands away from his wound and laid the vest against it instead, wincing as Sora cried out in agony.

"That can't be good news; that means there's more than a few of them." Enik said bitterly, glancing at the sleeping Taro he held in his arms.

"I know that," Riku replied, "but what I don't know is where the rest of them _are_." He put one arm behind Sora's head and lifted him gently, trying his best to ignore the shouts of protest. "Forget about it for now; let's get Sora and Taro home."


	11. Chapter 11: Reunions and Revelations

Sora woke up in a daze, moonlight dimly illuminating the room through the window as he adjusted his eyes to the nighttime darkness. He felt excessively weak, and could hardly remember where he was and why. He noticed Riku sitting against the wall nearby, his head drooping as he sighed in his sleep. Cloud was in the same position against the door, his wrapped hand and arm in a sling, calmly breathing as he slept.

Suddenly, in a rush of recollection, Sora remembered what had happened before he had blacked out.

Four members of the Organization—Xaice among them for the second time—had attacked Riku, Taro, Enik, Cloud, and him on the beach. Taro had had an attack, and Cloud had been seriously harmed trying to help Enik restrain him.

_And I was closer to being killed than ever, _Sora reminded himself.

The second that notion entered his mind, a wave of pain coursed through him, causing every inch of his body to feel as though it were covered in flames. Engulfed in anguish, Sora screamed louder than he felt he ever had, writhing under the sheets of the bed as he pleaded mentally for the pain to subside.

Immediately, the light flicked on and Riku and Cloud were at his side, full of unease.

"Y-You okay?" Riku asked tiredly, trying to hold back a yawn. Sora stared at him, gasping as he tried to ignore the searing pain, and shook his head.

"What he needs," Cloud offered, "is some familiar comfort."

"Like what, exactly?" Riku replied angrily. Cloud shrugged.

"Like Kairi."

_Kairi. _The name echoed in Sora's head, calming and soothing his anxious mind. He relaxed, breathing deeply as the pain slowly went away.

"Don't get his hopes up, it's not like we can just go back."

Cloud shrugged. "I won't be able to fight for a few months at least, after what Taro did to my wrist, so I obviously have to go back. It's simple—we all go back so I can stay there, and Sora can see Kairi for a day. He's not going to heal any other way."

"He sure as heck will heal any other way."

"Emotionally, I mean."

Riku stared at his friend, who was drifting to sleep as they spoke. Cloud _did_ have a point—the reason Sora hadn't fought Kasix back was because he had finally given up, mentally at least. He didn't have the willpower at this point; he was obviously still beating himself up over the past. One day with Kairi wouldn't hurt.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, I'm going back to sleep." Riku turned and shut the light off again, returning to his spot by the wall and leaning against it wearily. Cloud watched him jadedly before walking lightly over to the door, sitting in front of it and falling asleep himself.

* * *

"So we'll bring you back today, agreed?" Riku asked, glaring at Cloud impatiently. The swordsman nodded, attempting to eat one of Enik's waffles (more like waffle-shaped bricks) one-handed.

"And you and Sora will stay there tonight and tomorrow while Leon and the others figure out who should go with you for the rest of the journey. Meanwhile, Sora can spend some time with Kairi and get better."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. You don't think that having to leave her _again_ will make him more upset?"

"Not if he has some peace of mind before he does," Cloud answered confidently. "He didn't have the chance for that the other times, did he?"

Riku paused, considering this. "No, I guess he didn't."

"And therein lies my point."

Taro staggered into the room, looking completely exhausted. His cousin spun around, his eyes widening at the younger boy. "Taro, you should still be asleep, it's too early for you to be up and about right now."

"N-no…" the boy argued, collapsing heavily into a chair and slouching against the table, "I'm fine, honest." He looked around at everyone in the room, a confused expression dawning on his face. "What happened yesterday? Where's Sora?"

There was a long moment of silence as Cloud, Riku, and Enik exchanged thoughtful glances. "Um…" Enik began, casually putting a waffle on a plate and smothering it with syrup, "…why do you ask?"

Taro considered this, staring up at the ceilings as he thought. "I don't feel right, is all." He fell suddenly silent, looking at his older cousin suspiciously. "Enik…did I…did I have an attack?" Riku and Cloud stared at their plates guiltily, trying their best to stay out of the conversation. Hesitantly, Enik nodded grimly. Taro noticeably cringed as he took a deep, slow breath. "I remember now. Organization XIII."

"Taro, you don't have to have anything to do with this," Enik blurted out abruptly. His eyes were filled with sadness and worry. "You _can_ leave the whole situation alone."

"Enik, I can't," Taro replied confidently. "You realize they came here because they chose to try and kidnap me again; the only way to ensure my—_our­ _safety—is for me to stop them in their entirety. I couldn't ask you to get involved; I need Sora's help to do this. It's just…how it is."

"But it _isn't_!" his cousin shouted as he slammed his hand angrily onto the countertop. "You don't understand how badly I need you to come to terms with that! You need to stop and remember that it's _Sora's_ job to take care of this, and you aren't responsible. You didn't ask for this."

Boldly, Riku stood up from his place at the table. "Enik, I think _you_ need to stop and remember that _Sora_ didn't ask for this, either."

"Don't _you_ tell _me_ what I need to remember!" the older boy snapped hatefully, glaring across the room at a calm, composed Riku. "He's my cousin, and you have no power over what he does or doesn't do. Just stop trying to tell him what _you_ think is right, already!"

"All I'm telling you is this—Sora and Taro are in a similar position right now. They both have Organization XIII coming after them, and if anyone except them takes action, the most likely result will be defeat. Obviously, not only Sora, but _everyone,_ needs to find out what Organization XIII is up to, and it won't solve the problem if we try to hide either of them or hold them back. Where they go, Organization XIII goes. And if we find support in other worlds—which I'm sure we will—they'll become their own worst enemy. We'll hold Organization XIII at an impasse and bring them down one by one, if we have to."

The truthfulness of Riku's statement began its immediate impact on the others present in the room. Taro stared up at him in awe, his reaction just the opposite of the angrily stunned Enik. Cloud, on the contrary, was staring at a wall emotionlessly, as if the entire conversation hadn't taken place at all.

"Riku," he said suddenly. "We should get going." Glancing at a clock on the wall nearby, the silver-haired boy nodded and stepped away from the table.

"Going?" Taro asked, his voice raising an octave in shock. "Where are you…?"

"We're starting over," Riku answered shortly, now heading towards the stairs. "And you're coming, got that? Get packing."

"_What?!_" Enik roared, pushing his cousin back into his chair as he attempted to get up and leave. "He isn't going anywhere!" Suddenly, Taro twisted out of his grip and scrambled a few feet away, looking at him furiously.

"Stop controlling me, Enik. You say you don't want me killed, yet you're trying to force me to stay here, where they already know I am?"

"They'll follow Sora if he leaves, you don't have to," Enik answered desperately.

"That gives them no reason not to come back here. They sense darkness, Enik, I remember it well enough from when I was kidnapped. They'll find me no matter where I am, and staying here won't only hurt me…" a tear slid down his face as he struggled to continue his sentence "…they'll hurt you, too. I…I wouldn't be able to bear that, and you know it."

"Stop worrying about protecting me. Worry about yourself," Enik said softly as he walked over and trapped Taro in a comforting hug. The younger boy pulled away again, shaking his head.

"Enik…I should be saying the same thing," he said softly. Enik stiffened, struck speechless by the reality of what Taro had said.

At that moment, Riku came down the stairs carrying two bags. Tossing one to Cloud, he nodded towards Taro. "All his stuff is in there. Throw it in the ship while I go get Sora. Taro, are you okay enough to leave now?"

The boy nodded self-assuredly. "Better than ever."

* * *

The ship's engine roared to life, creating a sudden, fierce blast of air that shook the nearby palm trees. A sunny sky blazed overhead as birds happily twirled past puffy, white clouds—a nearly perfect day.

The 'nearly' that was downsizing the day's perfection came in the form of a small group of people—Taro, Enik, Cloud, and Riku—standing at the foot of the gummi ship's stairway to the cockpit and cabin. Sora was asleep in Riku's arms, his side heavily bandaged after yesterday's conflict. Several people had come out of their houses to stare in surprise at the large ship and the unfamiliar people surrounding it, as if they hadn't noticed either before this moment. A few even commented on the fact that it seemed the Hotaru boy was finally leaving.

The Hotaru boy in question was currently standing beside Riku, taking one last look at the place that had been his home for the past fifteen years. Where he and his cousin had been born, where their family had died, where everything in his life had taken place. Strangely, the fact that he was leaving it behind meant very little now. The fact of leaving his cousin had begun to mean more.

"Enik," he muttered, "d-don't…don't think badly of me, for this." Glancing up at Enik with pleading eyes, he was surprised to see his cousin crying. Instantly, the older boy lifted him up into his arms and hugged him tightly, letting his tears soak the younger boy's sweatshirt as he cried.

"Don't think that for one second. I would never think badly of you, Taro." He paused to take a deep breath. "I realized you're right. It would seem that the only possible solution is for you to follow the path destiny has given you. If it were me, I know you'd let me do whatever my heart told me to. And if this is what yours is saying is right…then I can't question it any more. It wouldn't be fair."

A small sob escaped the younger boy. "Thank you, Enik…I'm going to miss you, you know," he added, hugging closer to his cousin.

"Me too, little buddy. Me too." Setting him down on the ground, Enik took a step back and turned his gaze to Riku and Cloud. "I trust you to take care of him."

"He'll be safe with us, promise," Riku said kindly. "There'll be a lot of people looking out for all of us. No harm could possibly come to him." Enik only nodded, staring at the sky as he did.

"All right," he said finally. Cloud took the initiative to be the first to turn away from their group; he walked silently up the ramp into the cockpit, roaring the engine once more as he began to prepare for the liftoff. Riku nodded his farewell, taking the same route as Cloud, with Sora still in his arms.

Lingering behind, Taro looked from the ship, to Enik, and back again with anxious eyes, as if he was second-guessing his decision. Turning in place, he doubtfully started up the ramp, each step slowly and carefully taken. After a few feet, he turned around and faced his cousin again.

"Goodbye, Enik," he said softly, adding a small wave before he continued on his way and disappeared into the ship's cabin.

After a few moments, the engine roared so loudly Enik had to cover his ears. The frame of the vehicle lifted into the air, hovering for a moment before slowly drifting higher up, and then suddenly shot off faster than a bullet out of a gun, speeding across the blue canvas of a sky before fading from sight completely.

Enik sighed deeply, closing his eyes as he stood in the place where the ship had been just moments before. "Goodbye, Hyakutaro."

As he walked back to his house, alone and disheartened, Enik tried desperately to shake the feeling that was beginning to overwhelm him. He was confident that Taro would be kept safe. But despite the things he was telling himself, he couldn't release from his mind the premonition that he would never see his cousin again.

* * *

"Riku! You're back!" Yuffie squealed, bouncing across the main room of Cid's Accessory Shop. She flung herself towards the boy, hugging him gleefully. Grinning, he stepped away from her and continued towards the couch, where Leon and Aerith were currently sitting. Leon looked up in surprise as Riku came into his view.

"Why are you here?"

"Well, isn't that a friendly hello," Riku retorted, laughing. Leon remained serious. "Okay, okay, don't get all angry at me. Cloud got hurt on the job and we're dropping him off, that's all." As if on cue, Cloud walked in through the door, looking around at everyone, his arm still wrapped and in a sling. Taro followed nervously behind him.

"Who's this?" asked Yuffie, who immediately made her way over to the terrified boy. She hugged him nonetheless, much to his surprise, and Riku couldn't hold back the laughter as he watched Taro's face flush bright red.

"That's Taro. He's a friend of ours."

"Nice to meetcha, Tar!" the ninja girl chirped, patting him on the head.

"N-Nice to meet you too…"

"Taro, huh?" Leon asked. He clapped him on the shoulder, managing a small grin. "Leon."

"SQUALL!" Yuffie interrupted, giggling at Leon's annoyed expression. Aerith made her way over as well, smiling warmly at Taro before shaking his hand.

"I'm Aerith. It's very nice to meet you, Taro."

In the midst of all the greetings, everyone had almost completely ignored Cloud. He coughed loudly, silencing the room completely, before Yuffie burst into laughter.

"Hi to you too, Cloud!" she said happily, hugging him.

"Mmm," Leon muttered. Aerith laughed softly and nodded towards Cloud, beaming.

"So, Riku, where's Sora?" Leon asked. Riku and Cloud looked at each other, and instantly the mood in the room changed drastically. Taro's expression became nervous again, and he stared at his feet awkwardly.

"Is he hurt?" Aerith asked, looking to Cloud for an answer. He nodded slowly as he started back out the door, leading the rest to the gummi ship that was landed outside. Cloud climbed up the ramp to the cabin, and there was a resounding gasp as he reemerged with Sora in his arms, still unconscious after the long trip back. His weight was shifted awkwardly to one side as he tried not to drop him, despite the fact he was relying on his one uninjured arm to support Sora's weight.

"Wh-what happened…?" Yuffie asked, her excitement nearly snuffed out by her shock. Grimly, Riku cleared his throat amid the stunned silence and prepared to explain.

"Organization XIII happened. They attacked us, again."

Leon stiffened, looking over at Aerith with concern. "Well then," he mumbled, "we need to talk, now."

"Why does it have to be now?"

"Because they attacked here too," Yuffie interjected as a clarification for Leon's haste. "They were looking for Sora."

"Could they have perhaps been the same people?" Aerith asked. No one answered.

"I think this discussion can wait; we need to get Sora to Leon's place," Cloud said quietly. "He's bleeding all over me. Aerith, Yuffie, can you get some medical supplies together and take care of him?"

"We can," Aerith answered. She and Yuffie hurried off towards Leon's, with Cloud close behind. Watching them go, Riku turned to Leon.

"Where's Kairi?"

"At my place; sleeping, I think."

The silver-haired boy sighed. "This might not go as well as I hoped."

* * *

_Sora?_

"Roxas…?"

_Oh, good, you're all right. _

"Mmm, but…just barely."

_I know. I'm just glad you're alive. After what happened, I wasn't sure how you were going to end up._

"I wasn't too sure, either. But, Roxas…what did you mean when you said you had a feeling, that you might not always be able to help me?"

………

"You there?"

_Yeah, I was just trying to figure out how to explain it. It's hard to describe—it was kind of like reverse déjà vu. Like I _felt_ what was going to happen, instead of knowing it. It was strange._

"Well, what did you feel?"

_That's just it; I felt nothing. Nothing at all…but deep down, that nothing told something of the future. I don't know _what _about the future, though._

"So how does that have anything to do with whether or not you'll be around?"

_Because, as a part of you, I feel what you feel, only…differently. And if I feel nothing, then that means I've been separated from you permanently._

"Why would that happen?"

_That's what I don't know. Do you?_

"No, I don't."

_All I have for an insight is what Xaice said. About how much trouble _I've _caused for you, and for the world. And about the reason they keep leaving when they see me._

"What's the reason?"

…_I have no idea. Sora, a time will come when everything will be answered. Don't worry about it for now; just worry about getting better._

"Okay…"

_Oh, and Sora?_

"Yeah?"

_Say hi to Kairi for me, all right? __

* * *

_

A bright light dimly lit the empty black of Sora's vision as he laid motionless, eyes still closed. The soft mattress he was lying on was comfortable, and he lazily rolled onto his side, content. However, he had completely forgotten about his injury.

With a yelp, he pushed himself up off the bed with his one good arm, pushing himself back-first against the nearby wall as he groaned in pain. He squinted in the light as he opened his eyes.

He was in Leon and Yuffie's house, in Traverse Town. Lying in the same bed he had slept in before leaving for Memory Isle, he sat up straighter as he looked around the familiar room, wincing as the uncomfortable movement made his injured side burn. He vaguely remembered being carried here by Cloud, and Yuffie and Aerith taking care of him before leaving again. Now he just sat quietly, taking it all in. Everything was just as he remembered it—perhaps even _better_ than he remembered. It seemed that seeing something after missing it so much made it all the more special.

"Sora?"

He started at the voice, his eyes widening. It was a recognizable voice, one that sent comfort and serenity swirling inside him the second he heard it. A voice that made him thankful he was here, rather than anywhere else in the world. A voice he would die to hear, anytime, anywhere. The voice of the person he loved more than life itself.

Kairi appeared in the doorway, her smile radiating more energy than the sun as she beamed with happiness. "Sora! You're back!" Running into the room, she hopped onto the bed and sat next to Sora against the wall, seizing him in a delighted hug. Sora moaned as she squeezed him tightly, and she quickly let go, immediately concerned. "You're…?"

"Hurt, yes," he whispered, "but I don't care." He weakly lifted his arms, ignoring the pain, and hugged her back, sighing deeply. "I missed you, Kairi."

"Sora…" she said quietly, wrapping her arms around him, more gently this time. "…I…I missed you too. So much." A tear slid down her face, followed by more. "I thought I'd never see you again," she sobbed.

"I know, shh," Sora soothed, whispering into her hair. "I'm right here, don't worry about me. I'm all right."

"But you could have died, Sora…"

"I didn't, though, and that's all that matters. I'm here, Kairi, I'm here for you. I love you, Kairi." A muffled giggle, mixed with another sob, answered him. Kairi looked up at him, her sky-blue eyes mixing with his, before she released herself from their embrace and grinned.

"I love you too, Sora," she whispered, leaning towards him and kissing him. Sora kissed her back, hugging her close again, and the two remained motionless for what seemed like forever before pulling back and smiling at each other. Running a hand through his hair, Kairi leaned against Sora's good shoulder and sighed. "I've been so scared, since you left. Organization XIII attacked here while you were gone."

"What?" Sora asked, his voice rising in worry. Kairi laughed quietly and kissed him on the side of the face, silencing him.

"They left almost right away. Leon and Yuffie were all ready to fight them off, but they noticed you weren't here and disappeared."

Sora sat in silence, staring at his feet and Kairi's, breathing rhythmically and ignoring the pain from his side. _They came here, too…_he thought, frowning with concern. _Were they the same ones, or…different? Were they trying to track down where I was going next, or just where I had been? _"Kairi?"

"Yes?"

"What did they look like, the ones who came here?"

"Oh, well…" she considered this for a moment, pursing her lips as she thought. "I only saw them briefly, before everyone tried to hide me. They thought they might try to kidnap me, you know." Sora cringed visibly, and she gasped in regret. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, you didn't…" he lied, resting his head on top of hers. "Go on."

"There was…one with white-blonde hair, and a pair of twins, and one with…was it purple hair? Yes, that was it. They all seemed a little beat-up."

A chilling fear built up in Sora's chest, sending a shiver down his spine. _They came here to try and finish us off _after_ they'd already found us once. They knew we were coming back here? But…how? __

* * *

_

"Nexy, are you all right?" Kasix asked, hugging Nexhayd lovingly. She was sitting on the long, exquisite couch in one of Castle Oblivion's many rooms, with Nexhayd lounging beside her as he stared at the glass-like walls resignedly.

"I can't believe we lost like that," he mumbled, putting a hand over his eyes as he sighed with disappointment. "And all because of that stupid blondie turncoat we call _Roxas_," he added, saying the name with overwhelming hatred in every syllable.

The blonde-haired girl only smiled, kissing him lightly before cuddling closer.

"Don't go beating yourself up over it," she said cheerfully, "one loss only means a more satisfying victory when he dies in the end. Right, Rent?"

Renterx lay on the other end of the couch, glaring at the two with immense annoyance. He was completely paralyzed for the time being, having broken every last one of his ribs from Taro's attack. Kasix giggled at her brother despite his hateful stare, and then looked up as the door on the other side of the room slowly opened.

"Hey, Nex," Zaix said as he walked nonchalantly into the room. "I heard the last mission didn't go so well. Thought I'd come by and see how you were doing."

"Stop acting concerned," Nexhayd snapped, narrowing his eyes. "I hate all of you and your fake emotions." Looking away for a moment, he pushed Kasix away and growled under his breath. "Leave me alone."

Rising off of the couch to stand beside Zaix, the now silent girl only sighed as she led the other boy away from Nexhayd, who was now lying with his back to them. "He's taking it hard, you know? And not just because of…Roxas," she whispered to Zaix, being careful to not let her brother or Nexhayd hear. "He was involved in the experimenting on that Taro boy, and when we saw what the repercussions of all those tests had caused and how unbeatable it was…" She shook her head, as if she still couldn't believe what had happened. "Nexhayd could only tell himself he had played a part in our defeat, before the battle even started. He's disappointed."

"Mmm, well…" Zaix muttered, looking at the two boys over her shoulder. "He's not the only one. The Superior's starting to get concerned; it seems that every time we try to make an attack, Roxas ends up halting the entire process. It's almost impossible to make any progress." Anger crossed his face fleetingly, and he grimaced. "I say we just pick off Roxas anyway, and let Fayxt get what comes to him."

"Zaix!" Kasix hissed, glaring. "You can't say things like that; you know exactly what would happen if he died."

"He came here during the Slumber, just like the rest of us. He can't be that special, even if he is connected to that reject Roxas."

"You know he's important; without him, the entire Organization would fall through!"

"At the rate this is going, it'll fall through either way," the boy answered grimly. "Well, I'm off. Xaice and I are meeting Texal upstairs for some poker," he added, changing the subject completely. His serious expression lifted as an overconfident smile took its place. "See you around."

"I guess so," Kasix replied, watching as he turned and went through the door. In the back of her mind, she was wondering—perhaps Zaix was right. If they couldn't get around Fayxt's curse, then would they have any hope of defeating Sora?

"Kassy?" Nexhayd called. The girl jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, and attempted to calm down as she crossed the room and sat beside him on the couch.

"What's wrong, Nex?" she asked, running a hand through his hair and smiling warmly. He sighed deeply and grinned back.

"Be a dear and go get me some food. I don't feel like getting up."

Laughter burst out of Kasix as she nodded several times, heading towards the door. "Of course, your highness; anything to please you."

"Right, right, anything to please me. Oh, by the way, grab Rent a couple aspirin. I think we're giving him a headache."

"Oh, shut _up_," Renterx snapped, muttering a short stream of swears under his breath as his sister left the room.

* * *

"Is he gonna be all right?"

Yuffie smiled. "Yes, Riku, Sora's pulling through. Aerith promised to stay at the house and keep an eye on him, just in case something comes up." The younger boy showed no acknowledgement of her answer, but only looked down at the floor, trying to ignore the now awkward silence.

"So they did come here, then? The Organization, I mean," he asked suddenly, looking up at Yuffie. She nodded.

"They did. Twins, a white-blonde, and one with purple hair."

"The same ones…" Riku whispered, swearing under his breath.

"It seemed like they were one step ahead of you," the ninja girl added uneasily.

"Should we be concerned about that?" he pressed.

Leon stepped away from the wall he had been leaning on, walking over to one of the two couches in the Accessory Shop and sitting down with a sigh. "It would seem obvious that you should be, Riku. They could have a spy, someone that's feeding them information." The three turned to glance inconspicuously at Taro, who was talking to Cid at the other end of the room. "Does he have any connections?"

"He was kidnapped by them a year ago, after they killed his parents….used as a lab rat in some darkness tests." Leon and Yuffie looked at him skeptically.

"But he looks completely normal."

Riku shrugged. "Sure he does, but he's all screwed up on the inside. The after-effects of all the experiments messed with his mentality, and he all-out loses it in moments of stress. Goes berserk. All the abnormalities of his DNA are killing him, but slowly." He paused as he stared at Taro momentarily. "I highly doubt he's working for the Organization, after what they did. He's made it pretty clear that he hates them."

Leon's opinion didn't falter. "I still think you should be careful about him. You never know who's with them and who isn't."

"So then we don't know for sure if anyone is helping the Organization?" Yuffie asked, turning to Leon. He shook his head. "Then how could they have possibly known where Sora was going?"

"Who knows," Riku muttered. "None of this is coming together." Yuffie reached into her pocket, handing him a small piece of paper. Opening it, he raised his eyes from the text back to her. "You still have the letter."

"We kept it, in case there was ever a time when we might need to refer back to it. Is there anything you've picked up since you left—something that could help us better understand what the King wrote?"

"Well….the first two lines haven't changed. We still know this has something to do with Sora and the whole reincarnation thing, and something to do with a new leader of the Organization. We haven't found out who that is." He read on a little. "Nothing new about the Chasers….this is pointless," he said desperately, groaning with frustration. "It doesn't make any sense. I mean, all this stuff about that Roxas kid, and Namine…how are we supposed to find that out? They're gone." After a moment of thoughtful silence, Yuffie shook her head.

"They aren't, though. If the report on Nobodies is correct, then it must be true that when they joined Sora and Kairi, they were gone to _us_, but not to _them_."

"So….what does that mean?"

Leon stood up, taking the letter from Riku. "It means that the three of us are going back to the house. Sora's going to have to take this up with his other half."

* * *

Sora hadn't even realized he was asleep until he was being woken up. "Hey, Sora, wake up already! This is important!"

"Mmff….Riku?" Slowly, the boy opened his eyes, blinking a few times as Riku, Yuffie, and Leon came into view in front of him. Beside him, Kairi giggled.

"You've been asleep for almost two hours," she informed him.

"Wha….really?"

"Really," Leon said impatiently, turning to Kairi. Noticing his meaningful stare, she kissed Sora on the side of the face before crossing the room and closing the door behind her as she left. Sora watched her go with an expression of sadness, not wanting to be separated from her.

"Feeling better?" Yuffie asked kindly. He nodded, and she smiled. "That's good; because we're here to ask you a favor."

"What's that?" he asked, still a little drowsy. Leon handed him the letter.

"We need you to tell us if anything in this letter has become clearer since you left, and we think the only way for that to happen is for you to ask…."

_Me?_

"Roxas?" Sora asked, partially to Leon and partially to Roxas himself. The swordsman nodded, pulling up a chair. Yuffie and Riku remained standing, watching Sora as he nodded slowly. "All right…" he looked down at the letter. "Well, everything in the first three lines is the same, even without Roxas's half of the story." Riku rolled his eyes, and Leon and Yuffie exchanged defeated glances.

_The Lost Two…well…_

"_Is there something you know about it?"_ Sora asked himself silently.

_It's what I told you before; Xaice said that I was a problem, and that there was a reason why they stopped attacking when I was there. So…maybe there's some connection between me, and them. Something that means I need to stay alive._

"_But…that doesn't make sense. You can't die, can you?"_

_Like I said, I can be separated from you permanently. I can't exist unless I'm somehow still a part of you. So if I'm cut off from you for good, I just…stop existing. I'd "die"._

"_How can you become separated permanently? Is there even a way?"_

_The past times I've separated from you temporarily—all the times that the Organization has shown up—I still recognize the ties that bind me to your existence. But if those ties were broken, I'd "die"._

"_So you'd have to be killed, in that state, to 'die'…that's why the Organization keeps leaving, because they want you alive!"_

_Right. Why they want to kill you is anybody's guess, because to kill a Nobody's original self is the same as killing them. There must be a loophole, then._

"_But the only way for there to be a loophole would be if…"_

"Oh my god!" Sora yelled out loud, surprising everyone in the room.

"What is it, Sora?" Riku asked, looking slightly concerned.

"It's….the Lost Two…I…we…and…"

Leon jumped out of his chair with astonishment. "Did you figure it out?"

"I'm not sure, but I'm positive that I found something else out. Something really, really important."

"What is it?" Yuffie shrieked, almost shaking with anticipation.

Sora took a deep breath, his eyes wide with shock. "Roxas has a Nobody!"


	12. Chapter 12: Reassurances and Doubts

Riku shook his head. "Sora, Roxas can't have a Nobody—he _is_ a Nobody."

_He's right, Sora. It's impossible._

"Well," Sora retorted, a bit irritated that his supposedly ingenious revelation was now being shot down, "if it isn't his Nobody, then I can at least say that there's some connection of existence between Roxas and someone in the Organization. There's no other explanation for why they'd keep sparing him."

_Again, that leaves a gap. If someone in the Organization is tied to my existence, why would they kill you? That would kill them, too._

"_Obviously, they're planning to kill me at any cost. Xarik made that quite clear the times I've seen her. I guess…"_ Sora thought to himself, trying to organize all his thoughts. _"I guess that would mean that they've chosen this one member to die—regardless of anything else." __

* * *

_

Fayxt sat on the floor, his back against the wall as he stared ahead of himself blankly. His silvery eyes glazed over as he remained motionless and unblinking, listening to the echoing footsteps as the crossed back and forth across the huge room. Every pang of the boots on the glass floor registered an exact location in his mind's eye—the only form of sight he had ever, and would ever, have. Being blind has its disadvantages, but Fayxt had conditioned himself to recognize localities so well, most could never tell he was blind from a first impression.

"Fayxt?" a voice asked. The footsteps had stopped, thus Fayxt turned to his hearing to adjust. Judging by the volume of the voice and the vibrations off of the walls, the one speaking to him was about five feet away—to the left? Yes. All this had been determined in a matter of seconds, and as Fayxt turned in the direction of the sound, he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yes, Superior?"

The Superior sighed, watching the boy with slight apprehension. He was afraid of what kind of reaction he might get after giving his opinion on the situation. "You know as well as I that this operation is getting nowhere. It's a disaster." Expecting an immediate answer, he was slightly surprised by the silence. "Well?"

Fayxt scoffed quietly, looking at the ceiling as the quiet chuckling rose into a demonic laugh. "Oh, Xukri," he muttered, "you're failing to see the point."

"Am I?" The Superior asked. "If I recall properly, it was not you who pieced this plan together. How would you come to know so much of it?"

"Easily, sir," the boy replied. "Of all people, _you_ must realize that this plan _revolves_ around no one but myself and Sora. Am I correct in saying so?"

The Superior paused. "You are."

"So, then, it would be an acceptable assumption that I might know a thing or two about what is going on here?"

"…I suppose it would."

Fayxt stood up, crossing the room until he reached a large, glass table. Sitting in the one chair that was placed at the head of it, he reclined back and turned in place, apparently visualizing all the pictures on the walls. "All these scribbles—they're her work. Drawings of what was to happen next." He grinned cynically. "How come there isn't one for my death?"

"She was gone long before you were here. Even before I was here."

"All during the Slumber." The Superior nodded, and Fayxt got out of the chair again, walking around the table aimlessly. After a few moments, he laughed again. "You're still not able to recognize how wrong you are about this predicament."

"I don't see what you're saying."

"Exactly," the boy said, his voice rising slightly. "Because you know less than you pretend to." His leader held up a hand, but he immediately summoned his weapon, holding out in front of him. Shocked, The Superior put his hand back at his side, staring at the black blade that was now pointed at his face. Tightening his hand around the red handle, Fayxt gritted his teeth. "You lack the sense to see that this plan is working quite well. The Taro boy is out of his home world, leaving it vulnerable, and now he's with Sora; don't you see, we can kill two birds with one stone! Sora's still trying to figure out that damned letter—little does he know that the King didn't write it at all, that it was forged, that this whole entire thing…." the boy grinned evilly, his eyes glinting with satanic amusement. "….this whole entire thing was planned. He has no idea at all that we're luring him in. When he goes somewhere, I know. We follow him, plan a trap around that information, and whether it fails or not, it's all working towards the same goal—catching him off-guard, right at the perfect moment, and killing him." Lowering the Keyblade-like sword, he shrugged. "It will also mean my death." He sneered up at his leader. "But none of you care, do you? You all want me to die quickly, so you can be rid of me. I'm nothing but a curse, a reminder of that….that deserter, Roxas."

The Superior stood in shock, completely surprised in the fact that he had truly been wrong about the condition of their efforts to kill Sora. There was still one thing, however…. "What about the reincarnation cycle? We can't alter destiny, can we?"

As he walked towards the door, Fayxt turned slightly as he answered.

"Sora has a Nobody, Xukri. He's disrupted up the cycle enough. As long as we kill him, then destiny will be thrown off its course for good. You need not worry." He chuckled lightly as he stepped out the door. "You're not thinking that Riku could possibly take over, just because he was _supposed_ to be the Keyblade Master?"

The Superior—Xukri—hung his head. "I should hope not."

"Of course, because where would that leave you?" Fayxt laughed coldly, pushing open the door as he started down the hall. "You'd be just like Roxas."

* * *

Leon took the letter from Sora's hand. "So, can we have _anything_ new to say about this letter? At all?" He seemed desperate, which was understandable—it had been nearly two months since the entire ordeal had begun, and there was still absolutely nothing they could piece together. Thus, when Sora shook his head slowly, he groaned loudly and stormed out of the room.

"Well…" Yuffie mumbled, watching Leon leave with a concerned expression, "I guess that we'll know when the time is right." Turning to Sora, she grinned. "Are you up for walking around a little? It might be good for you."

The boy paused, lost in his own thoughts. Absentmindedly, he nodded, and scooted towards the edge of the bed, flinching slightly as his side began to burn. Yuffie and Riku lifted him onto his feet, letting him lean on them as he attempted to come to a stable position. When he did, they let go, and he followed them into the kitchen. Kairi, sitting in one of the chairs at the small table, turned her head as the three came in. Noticing Sora, she jumped up and rushed to his side, helping him sit down in the chair beside her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, reading the uncertainty on his face. He only shrugged, gnawing on his lip nervously.

"Nothing, it's…nothing," he murmured. "I'm just a little confused right now."

"All right," Kairi whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder gently. Smiling softly, Sora lifted his hand and laid it on top of hers, his doubt lifting momentarily as he reveled in the joy of being back at his home-away-from-home.

But still, there was that question deep inside him—_Is there something even _I_ don't know about myself? And if so…who knows it?

* * *

_

_Roxas! You're back._

_Glad to be back…sort of._

_Why "sort of"?_

_It's just…Namine, remember when we first met? In Twilight Town?_

_Of course I do. It's one of my most vivid memories, from before we were last ourselves._

_There were things you knew about me that I didn't even realize. It was a strange feeling, knowing that the person you thought you were wasn't you at all. And after what Sora said about the letter, I'm wondering if it's happening again._

_Well, what did he come up with?_

_He thinks that there's a connection between me and one of the members of this "new" Organization._

…_but why would he think that? You left the original Organization so long before it fell…what could they possibly want from you?_

_They heard about me, somehow, and they're not exactly pleased with how I quit. I'm seen as a traitor to them—they hate me, Namine. More than you know. Every time we see them, Sora ends up getting hurt somehow—near death. Not only are they powerful, but he's not exactly fighting back with everything he has. He's still putting too much restraint on himself._

_So you end up coming in contact with these new members? And they threaten you?_

_With words, not actions. Which is why Sora thinks there's some connection—every time I come into the picture, they leave without so much as scratching me. They're trying to keep me alive, and waiting until it's both Sora _and_ I to make their kill. _

_But if there's a connection, they'd be killing one of their own in the process._

_To them, it doesn't matter, so long as Sora's dead. Apparently, losing one isn't as costly as losing the chance to complete their mission._

_And this leads to when we met…how?_

_They know something about me that I don't. I hate having to live with that—it was hard enough the first time I went through something like this. I don't want to be used as a pawn anymore. I want to be able to know that how I see myself is how I really am, not an illusion._

_Roxas…I know you're wishing it was wrong, but I think what Sora's saying is true._

………

_And you do trust me, right?_

_More than anything._

_But do you trust yourself?_

_I wish._

_I wish you did, too. Because trusting yourself is the only way you're going to get your questions answered. If you want to know something about yourself, you've got to be able to see the answer when it's in front of you, and not doubt the truth. It's how I managed to see through all the secrets and lies, and how I managed to find you in Twilight Town and help the both of us stay on the right path. I had to trust what was true, no matter how much it hurt to admit it. Without that, we wouldn't be where we were today. We'd truly be nothing._

_But…what if I don't know the truth when I see it?_

_Like I said. Trust yourself, and you'll know right away. __

* * *

_

Amid all the chattering in the kitchen of the small house, Sora became briefly aware of the sound of footsteps outside. Choosing to ignore it, he went back to leisurely sipping from his can of soda, tapping his thumb against the aluminum side and listening to the rhythm as it mixed with all the other noise. A few seconds later, however, the footsteps returned, and he had barely enough time to look up before the door swung open at light speed, revealing a beaming Cid, followed by Taro and Cloud.

"HEY THERE, SORA!!!" Cid called loudly, lifting his hand to deliver his usual greeting of a slap on the back. Everyone in the room, excluding Taro, leapt forward with a shout of "CID! DON'T!" as Sora attempted to make an escape. Cid, having noticed that something was amiss, made note of Sora's bandaged side and stepped back a little. "Hurt _again_...kid, you've got to get better at this combat thing." Without an answer, Sora climbed back into his chair, shooting Kairi a far-too-relieved glance that sent her into a fit of laughter. Aerith walked into the room unexpectedly. Cloud, noticing her, crossed the room and came to her side, his face expressionless.

"How's your arm?" Riku asked, nodding towards the sling. Cloud shrugged.

"I can use it…"

"…but not well," Aerith finished, smirking at him. "Unfortunately, he won't be fighting anytime soon. Riku, Sora, Taro…you'll be continuing this journey on your own."

Sora's face flushed pale. "But…"

"I understand that Cloud was a source of protection and support for you all, but he's in no condition to continue with this. We're returning to Hollow Bastion next week, to help with more reconstruction, and Cloud will be staying with us."

"So…where does that leave us three?" Riku asked, his tone coming off as slightly annoyed and distressed.

"You're coming, too," Leon muttered, his patience apparently wearing thinner with each passing moment. In response to their puzzled looks, he quickly added, "you obviously came back here to start over, am I right?"

"You are," Sora muttered, finally coming into the conversation.

"Not only that, but Taro needs to be brought up to date and prepared for the journey ahead, and you, Sora, need to heal a considerable amount. Some time off won't hurt," Yuffie chirped, crushing Taro in another hug. "After you're all set, the three of you will leave. As long as we keep in touch and go about this in a more…brilliant way, then it should work fine."

Cid cleared his throat as he attempted to cut into the discussion. He was met with silence, and therefore spoke up. "A friend of mine has a daughter living in Hollow Bastion right now. Member of the Resistance. She could help out some."

"Resistance?" Riku asked, pushing his bangs out of his face. "What's that?"

"They were against the original experimentation done by Ansem the Wise. Their belief was that the heart was not a thing to be researched. Sort of like environmentalists, only…not," Yuffie explained. "Since he disappeared and all this business with Heartless, Nobodies, and Organization XIII came up, they've turned their focus to knowing everything they can about them. They've been waiting quite some time for a way to fight back again, and I'm sure they wouldn't refuse a meeting with the Keyblade Master himself!"

Sora, sitting beside Kairi, shrugged, a smirk spreading across his face. "I suppose I could sign a few autographs…maybe a few photo ops?"

A loud groan of disgust echoed in the room, and everyone immediately turned to Riku. His blue-green eyes matching the amused expression on his face, the silver-haired boy smirked right back at his friend and shook his head. "You're pitiful."

* * *

**Author's note:** This chapter (while shorter than I had hoped...) reveals a lot about Fayxt and The Superior (as long as you read carefully and think back to other chapters). Does anyone have any guesses as to what **time period **"The Slumber" refers to? I'll give you a hint--it takes place during the story of KH2.

Also, does anyone think they know what Fayxt's weapon is? **I need a specific name--**your hint is that it was featured in KH1.

Please visit and submit your answers using the form found on the Comments/Suggestions page. I will recieve your guesses by email: any correct guesses will be announced with the release of the next chapter. DO NOT post guesses with your comments on this site I wouldn't want to spoil it for other readers. Thank you and good luck!


	13. Guide to Organization XIII

The new Organization XIII members

#1: Xukri (The Superior) follows unknown

At this point in the story, we know very little information about The Superior, or "Xukri", as he is called by very, very few of the Organization members. He is close to Fayxt and has a negligible fear of him, even as the leader of the Organization in its entirety. Thought it is not clear why, he is extremely unenthusiastic at the thought of Riku having a bigger role in this battle of dark vs. light, and is also not as leader-like as he should be. Fayxt is constantly reminding him of how everything _should_ be working, and at some moments it seems like Fayxt has more authority than his leader.

Also, he and Fayxt hint that the reason the two of them, along with the rest of Organization XIII, are there as a result of "The Slumber". Could this have any connection to the mention of "The Slumber" in the letter…?

#2: Xaice (The Double-Bladed Menace) follows Axel

Sarcastic, patient (at times), and the second-in-command. Always ready with a smirk and a smart comment, and never ceases to mock his opponent. Ruthless on the battlefield, however, and the lead fighter of the Organization. He makes full use of his abilities with the element of fire and combines it with attacks for a devastating effect. Off of the battlefield he's a full-time prankster, and especially likes to annoy Rarext by referring to her as his girlfriend.

Nickname: D-men, derived from his title. See Q and A section for explanation.

#3: Xarik (The Pierce of Defeat) follows Larxene

Idolizes Larxene with all of her heart, and wishes nothing more than for Sora to be defeated once and for all--preferably by her. Quiet, but violent, impatient, and two-faced...among those she respects, she is subordinate when need be and calm, but among her enemies or when on the battlefield, she's an unstoppable, power-hungry fighter with no mercy or kindness to be found, much like her idol.

Nickname: Xar.

#4: Rarext (The Malevolent Princess) follows no one

Mysterious, angry at most times, and the second true enigma of Organization XIII. No one understands how, even past the theory of following, she was the second girl to join in the new Organization. She follows none of the original members and has no weapon, like Zexion before her. Yet, she doesn't follow Zexion, and even stranger, there is no one in the new Organization that does. Some of her fellow members have

a suspicion that she is somehow connected to Fayxt, who also is quite mysterious. Rarext never fights, and is merely the cold-hearted strategist of the battlefield.

Nickname: Rare, or sometimes Princess (usually only by Xaice).

#5: Zaix (The Deceitful Bandit) follows Saix

A little slow on the uptake, and, surprisingly, very similar to Demyx. The trait that he shares with Saix is that he is a little more skilled in

battle, and fights with two small blades (similar to Rikku's) that are small enough to fit inside pockets that he sewed into his black cloak.

He also has the ability to channel his power in a "berserk" mode when he is close to defeat--which happens rarely, if not at all. Zaix is extremely cunning and sneaky, earning him his fitting title. Whenever the Organization needs something--or someone--stolen, Zaix is put on the job first and foremost.

Nickname: Zai.

#6: Lenexa (Rapid Downfall) follows Xigbar

Lenexa is one of the best examples of following in the Organization. He is very much like Xigbar--black hair (though it's shorter) with a blonde streak (instead of silver), and he has a surfer-dude attitude. Also, Lenexa fights with the same weapon as Xigbar, a gun-type weapon that shoots energy bursts in the form of purple, bullet-like streaks of light. A very swift fighter with tons of speed, agility, and ability to dodge all sorts of attacks, he could be used in close combat but fights mainly at a long, but not too long, distance.

Nickname: Len.

#7: Texal (The High-Stake Horror) follows Luxord

A gambler to the end, Texal studied Luxord's fighting style diligently, and has crafted himself into a formidable opponent. He does fight with cards and dice, but in a different way--his cards are normal sized, and can be used in a way similar to throwing knives. His dice, on the other hand, explode on contact. Has a good sense of humor, but is also very serious and determined. He's the one you want with you on a mission or on the battlefield, due to his unswerving concentration. It's his belief that losing focus is the same as losing a hand in poker--it won't cost you right then and there, but it could have long term effects. This theory is showcased through his focused and aimed attacks, which rarely miss.

Nickname: Ace (just like the card).

#8: Fayxt follows Roxas

As you can assume, Fayxt is very special. He follows Roxas, and by having that title he is ostracized from the rest of the Organization. In fact, he rarely ever leaves the top floor, and rarely lets anyone in. Xukri is the only one that has seen him more than once, and no one has ever seen him fight. His fighting style is revealed at the end of the story in the final battle. Most of his fellow members are afraid of him, partly because of his exact resemblance of someone they'd hoped to never see again, and partly because he can be kind and calm one moment, and violent and cold the next--causing them to keep their distance. Fayxt looks exactly like Roxas, except for one slightly eerie difference--his eyes are a dull gray, and he's completely blind. He defends himself by sensing shockwaves from his opponent's movements, thus giving him the ability to dodge spells and air attacks. He dodges ground attacks by sensing seismic vibrations from footsteps, and even the rhythm of an adversary's breathing. For a weapon, Fayxt wields a Darkblade, which was reconstructed from the hearts of the former members of the Organization. If he is defeated in battle, the lost members of the Organization will be reborn. There is only one way to defeat him and prevent that from happening. The first step is to steal the Darkblade from him, which is a battle in itself. The second part is too big of a spoiler to mention here.

Nickname: none.

#9: Nexhayd follows Marluxia

A born-to-be-wild rebel, Nexhayd (who is rarely referred to by his full name) fights with a scythe, just like Marluxia--minus the flower petals. Instead, he uses psychic energy to form invisible wavelengths of dark energy which he blasts towards his enemies at incredibly high speeds. The only way for one to sense them is to be connected with the darkness in some way, which will enable you to "see" them, though not very clearly at all. He can attack as well as defend with his scythe and his psychic abilities, combining them to make forcefields, barriers, and more. Nex (as most call him) is hardly ever sent out on the battlefield alone, and works in groups of two or three, alternating with his invisible attacks and barriers to provide almost unavoidable cover-up attacks (they're not incredibly powerful) and unyielding defensive front, followed by all-out offensive attacks by his comrades.

Nickname: Nex

#10: Renterx (Balance of Yang) follows Vexen

Renterx is the first "born" of the Yin-Yang Nobody twins. He is extremely smart and strategic, and uses both his brains and brawn on the battlefield.

Besides knowing hundreds of ways to kill someone and just about everything academic, he also is intelligent in the sense that he is very adept at

psyching out his opponent, sensing their every weakness, and finding the most effective and quick way to attack and kill them. He fights with

elemental magic and nothing else, and is never without his loyal sister Kasix, who uses her amazing sword techniques to back up her brother's

lightning, fire, water, earth, and air attacks. He can also heal his allies, but only to a certain degree. The two are almost an unstoppable duo and are

used to working with Nexhayd to create a terrifying combination of attack, defense, and healing elements.

Nickname: Rent

#11: Kasix (Balance of Yin) follows Zexion

Kasix, the younger of the Yin-Yang Nobody twins, is another good example of following. Zexion was known for his mind games, and Kasix has certainly

inherited the trait and uses it to the best of her ability. While her brother Renterx is also very skilled at the same aspect of battle, Kasix is frighteningly

deadly in how she completely disarms her opponents mentally, and then attacks them with an awe-inspiring amount of sword skill. She is credited with

having killed 10 of her enemies in one deft blow, which for her is a minor accomplishment. She combines her weapon attacks with what she calls her

'shadow skill', using techniques such as darkening the battlefield and making herself invisible to further throw off her opponent. Combined with her

brother's intelligence and Nexhayd's immense psychological impact on the enemy, Kasix and 'her boys', as she calls them, are almost a sure sign of

defeat when met on the battlefield. She and Nexhayd flirt frequently, but her brother isn't entirely supportive of the idea (brothers will be brothers).

Nickname: Kassy or Kas

#12: Taxea (Victory's Storm) follows Xaldin

Taxea, the fourth of the four girls in the Organization, is very much like Rarext, temper-wise. She has a short wick and is set off very easily, and once

she gets angry there is very little that can stop her. Like Xaldin, she fights using wind, but only uses a single lance--finding it easier to control the one

weapon instead of worrying about controlling many. She doesn't have much aptidtude in the way of strategy or strength, but can dodge attacks well

enough that she can wait for an opportune moment to try and make an attack. Also, her wind attacks alone, while not very powerful, can create mini-

storms when combined enough times. She rarely fights only due to her lack of raw talent or ability for fighting, and sometimes, though not often, works

with the Yin-Yang twins and combines her wind and lances with Renterx's wind and Kasix's swords for a powerful team of three. If Nexhayd is involved,

she uses her control of the wind to provide distraction while he, Renterx, and Kasix attack in unison for a deadly combo.

Nickname: Tax, but she is rarely ever called by her nickname

#13: Xantu (The Subordinate Strategist) follows Lexaeus

Xantu is the one member that sometimes seems to be left out of the Organization's missions, mostly because Lexaeus was not known well by the above-

ground members of the group in the days of Castle Oblivion, and his death at an early point after his recruitment made him less well-known. Xantu fights

very, very rarely, and usually works with Rarext in strategy. He is arguably the most strategic member of the Organization, and he and Rarext work well

together--she isn't talkative at all, he's quiet; she has a short temper, he doesn't anger people easily. Both of them are very skilled in analyzing the

battlefield and finding the most effective positions for all of the fighters involved to enter and attack from. Xantu isn't seen much, so when he is it's

obviously a very big deal. When he fights, it's an even bigger deal. His weapon is merely his fists (brass knuckles), and while he isn't very skilled in battle

tactics while actually on the field, he makes up for it in strength and speed. He is also well informed on which places of the body will weaken an opponent

more and which cause paralyzation. To gain the upper hand, he commonly weakens his enemy as much as possible before attempting to paralyze them. If

he gets that far, he will either finish them off if he is able or have one of his allies finish the battle for him. Seemingly shy because of his quietness, it is very

shocking to know that Xantu is extremely cold-hearted (not so much as Taxea and Rarext, however) and takes little to no mercy on his opponents.

Nickname: Xan, but he is rarely ever called by his nickname


	14. Guide to Original Characters

Original Character Guide to _Manifest Destiny_ (excluding Organization XIII)

Hyakutaro

Sora's friend (same age as Sora) whom he meets at Memory Isle. For you FFVII fans, his role in the fanfic is somewhat, but not entirely, similar to the role Zack plays in FFVII, and his history with SOLDIER and Sephiroth are very similar to Cloud's. He ultimately winds up traveling with Sora on his journey as another failed member of SOLDIER, but he and Cloud don't get along at all. Hyakutaro (referred to mainly as Taro) was an experiment of Xukri's after he had already failed SOLDIER, and Xukri tried to "exploit the SOLDIER in him" and use it for his own good--even though he had no idea what SOLDIER even was. The result of several experiments performed on the boy left him with a strange power that is entirely out of his control. When he enters this state, the darkness left within his heart pushes him into a "Berserker" state (much like Saix, but worse) and little by little, each time it happens, he becomes more out of control. Eventually, this condition may or may not be responsible for his death.

Enikkusu

Hyakutaro's cousin, who is older than Taro (about Cloud's age). All Square Enix fans will be interested to know that his name means "Enix" in Japanese (Square Enix translated into Japanese is "Sukuwea Enikkusu"). He is very protective of Taro, and the only person still alive in their family after the disasters caused by the Heartless and Organization XIII. Enik, as he is called by Taro, is very close to his younger cousin and the only person other than Sora, Riku, and Cloud that know about his dark condition. The things that have happened to his family and Taro himself cause him to be extremely wary and cautious of Sora and his friends, and he though he tries to act like he accepts him, Enik tries very hard to distance himself and Taro from anything to do with the Keyblade master.


End file.
